


you captured my soul with your gaze

by LunaChi_KuroShihone



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Amamiya Ren and Kurusu Akira Are Twins, Angst and Feels, Arsene is an idiot who tries to drink coffee without a mouth, Author Shoves All Of Her Favorite Tropes In The Fandom Into One Big Fic, Cafe Leblanc (Persona 5), Coffee Dad Sakura Sojiro, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Good Parent Sakura Sojiro, Human/Monster Romance, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Idiots in Inaba AU, Idiots in Love, Interspecies Awkwardness, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Introspection, Like Whoa, M/M, Minor Niijima Makoto/Okumura Haru, Minor Suzui Shiho/Takamaki Ann, Not Canon Compliant - Persona 5: The Royal, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 Protagonist is from Inaba, Persona/Human, Ren loves him anyways, Self-Indulgent, Soul-Searching, Soulmates, Strained Relationships, Team as Family, between Ren and his parents, i guess??, i mean... what else do you call the representation of yourself that you fell in love with, p5 protag goes by Ren, snarky side commentary, somewhat at least, ugh tagging for this fandom is hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 41,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27884842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaChi_KuroShihone/pseuds/LunaChi_KuroShihone
Summary: Ren had been falling, an attack from a sneaky shadow throwing him off of the great pyramid that was Futaba's Palace, the ground rapidly approaching him.And then Arsene had burrowed his face into Ren's neck (which,ow,)and was thrumming at Ren like some sort of bird, his wings quivering in panic and his claws drawing blood from the sheer force of their grip. Their shared mental space was still an indecipherable mess of emotions, panic and worry only slowly ebbing away to gratitude, sheer affection coating Ren's insides until he felt as if his heart was floaty and his head full of cotton candy.Actually, his head might've been light because of a concussion, but anyways--Still, he's never felt clearer-headed than in that moment, ironically, and so Ren grinned a softer version of Joker's grin at Arsene, and tugged at the persona's mask until they were face-to-face, and then he pressed his lips squarely there where Arsene's mouth was, flames licking at his face.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Arsene (Persona Series), Arsene/Kurusu Akira
Comments: 42
Kudos: 103





	1. the moment you recognized me,

**Author's Note:**

> this pairing has hit me like a freight train and wont let go, help.
> 
> What started as a little exercise in writing to get back into it after a few months of writer's block evolved into this 15k+ thing that I have devoted my heart and soul to. Very self-indulgent, but maybe there are others out there with a burning need for Arsene / Ren fics; if so, I am happy to provide.
> 
> This is mostly anime-canon and not Royal compliant because I don't own a PS4 and Persona 5 has yet to (hopefully) release on the Switch. Sakurai said it was one of his favorite games, come on, they *have* to release it someday. No??
> 
> I stumbled into this fandom by sheer accident: I had been revisiting the DCMK fandom again after a literal decade of absence, and after reading some fics and looking at some art, I saw crossover images between That One Dude From The Smash DLC Who Looked Vaguely Cool And Who Had A Cool Gimmick and Kaitou Kid, Phantom Thief Extraordinaire, and had to do some research.
> 
> Here I am, weeks later. Expect some vague crossover elements in this, because I like my worldbuilding, haha.

Ren was surrounded by heat, safely caged in by satin-soft feathers, the echoes of his mind reduced to a static buzz. The darkness of his room was interrupted by the flickering of a dying campfire's flames, and were Ren to shift slightly, he would come face-to-mask with Arsene's placid coal-ember gaze. His persona was humming, lowly, rumbling like a furnace, and his wings moved around ever-so-slightly to adjust Ren closer to himself, tucking the human safely away from all of the hatred in the world, his leathery skin cool to touch.

There was no place Ren felt more safe, or more protected and cherished in, than in Arsene's arms like this: in the middle of the night at what Ann would probably call _witching hour_ , safely ensconced in a blanket of black feathers. He sighed, the last few days' worries finally leaving him, the stress of tomorrow still a sunrise away.

 _Thou should rest, mon petit voleur,_ Arsene hummed, affection sparking in the back of Ren's mind. He grunted, too tired for any real words, and simply burrowed deeper into the persona's neck.

Arsene hugged his wings closer around them. _Tomorrow may bring what tomorrow will come, Ren. It is useless to think about it at such an hour._

A hand begun to pet through Ren's hair, razor-sharp claws skillfully untangling knots and sending pleasant shivers down Ren's spine. He couldn't help himself; they were so close to their deadline to deal with Haru's father --

 _My dearest thief,_ Arsene continued, his eyes burning brighter than before, two miniature suns in this darkness, _I can quite literally_ hear _thee thinking. A phantom thief thou may be, but even phantom thieves need rest._

Ren smiled into Arsene's clavicle. _Tell me about what you have been reading, then, to distract me from my thoughts._

The Pillager of Twilight was only too happy to agree, and Ren fell asleep to stories told to him about fire demons and young-old maidens and wizards with living castles.

* * *

Here is how it started: 

Being given the choice between fusing Arsene away for a stronger persona and keeping him, it would've seemed like a simple choice to make -- they had to defeat Kamoshida before they'd have gotten expelled from school, and thus Joker should've handed Arsene over to the guillotine. Igor certainly had believed it to be the next logical step. Justine and Caroline as well, and even _Arsene_ had nodded at Ren, told him _we shall meet again when the time is right, in the future,_ but.

But.

Arsene had been Joker's first persona, had helped him and Ryuji and Ann and Morgana out, had shared his wisdom late at night with Ren.

Had been standing proud and tall, then, as well, with his flaming mask of a face burning bright. Ren still remembered glancing back towards the guillotine, towards the sharp blade ready to fall like the hammer of judgement, and remembered making up his mind.

_"Arsene!"_

Those flames had burned brighter in response, great black wings puffing up almost as if in pride, before the persona -- _his Persona --_ had turned back into Joker's domino mask, and then he'd turned on his heels and left the Velvet Room.

(Morgana had spoken about _thieves' honor,_ once, to him and Ryuji even before Ann had joined them, and Arsene, too, had mentioned _a gentleman thief's code of conduct,_ in that same conversation with a fond voice.

And, well. It would not have done it for Ren to so easily give up on his partner, now would it? Even if there were stronger persona out there; Ren could always fuse someone else than Arsene. Arsene was _Ren's._ Where would the honor be, in that, if Ren were to forsake the one who told him, who had declared so boldly, that they were one and the same?)

At that point, Ren had not given it much thought, that warm feeling that had burned within him at Arsene's fond smile, but in hindsight, it had been the beginning, for them. With each new foe they defeated, each new palace they infiltrated, that bond that had been there since the beginning grew stronger and stronger, those chains that had surrounded Arsene now surrounding Ren as well, making it impossible to leave without shattering them, shattering the trust they'd build within each other.

Ren might have gathered many more persona for himself and to help the Phantom Thieves, but Arsene was, and would be, forever Ren's _first._

(Arsene was always there, at the back of Ren's mind: he'd asked Morgana, once, if it was normal that Persona users could sense their persona, and Morgana had nodded. Apparently Zorro felt like a gentle breeze -- when asked, Captain Kidd was revealed to feel similar to the low hum of electricity, and Carmen like the warmth of a candle. The others had described it as something barely there, only noticeable if they focused on it, and Ren had hummed a thank you and not asked if they could feel emotion from their persona -- Arsene had been amused, then, a smoky curl low in Ren's throat, his presence thrumming in time with Ren's heartbeat.)

(Later, once their bonds had deepened enough, the answer would have been yes: Carmen had a delightedly wicked sense of humor, and Captain Kidd liked to banter with Ryuji at every turn, and Zorro was quite the romantic -- but in the beginning, back with Kamoshida? Not yet.)

It did not take long for Ren to figure out that whatever it was, that he and Arsene shared, was - _different,_ from what the others shared with their persona.

* * *

Despite popular belief, the persona were not, actually, always awake at the same time as their users-slash-humans-slash-partners. Upon noticing that Arsene's usual smoky presence had dimmed to something that Ren's dubbed 'sleep mode' affectionately, he took his chance and interrupted the Thieves' current discussion (and chess game between Yusuke and Morgana).

"So, like," He started, effectively garnering the attention of everyone. And then he promptly shut up, not knowing how to continue. Ann, Morgana and Ryuji shared a glance.

Yusuke and Makoto blinked, confused, the former's chess game forgotten.

"Is it Arsene trouble?" Ann asked, because whenever Ren would start a conversation with _so, like,_ and then clam up, it was Arsene trouble.

Ren nodded.

Makoto looked vaguely concerned at that, her fingers twitching as if trying to decide on an action. She had grown close to Johanna very fast, and could not imagine there being discomfort between persona and human. "...trouble? With your persona?"

Ryuji snorted. "Right, you've never been on the receiving end of one of the many, many rants regarding Arsene, have you, student council prez?" He paused. "Or Yusuke, for that matter."

"I have heard about them," Yusuke admitted, nodding at Morgana, who huffed and flicked his tail. Everybody had their allotted Morgana-time where they would spend a day or two with the not-cat, and the first time that it had been Yusuke's turn, Morgana just had come from another Arsene-and-Ren related incident. The cat had had _opinions_.

"'Arsene trouble' refers to whatever shenanigans Ren's main persona usually gets up to; stuff that our own persona never really bother with. What is it this time?" Ann smiled at Ren, a patient saint, even though he knew that she would use it for some kind of blackmail later.

(He was completely right. Ann was a right bastard when she wanted to be.)

Ren grinned wryly, something of Joker settling into his features. "He keeps materializing outside of Mementos or the Palaces, and then he kind of… hovers around me without pause. Usually he wants to read -- he once even tried to drink coffee, that kind of backfired -- but lately he's just _hovering_ around me."

The whole materializing thing was strange in and on itself, because none of the other persona felt the need to do so -- they could see what their humans saw, after all, and talking through their shared mental space was preferable to being physically present. They did not _like_ materializing as a general rule, as Zorro had confirmed, once. Arsene had materialized for the first time the night Shiho had jumped, when Ren had been wracked with guilt at not having been of greater help. Morgana hadn't been much use, then, because Ren had told Morgana to accompany Ann, who'd needed it more, but once Ren had made it safely back to Leblanc he'd shut down almost immediately.

Arsene had materialized, then, and taken Ren's school bag and put it next to his bed, and then he'd guided Ren to sit down on the edge of it, his claws carefully hovering between the thief's shoulder blades and neck.

_Mademoiselle Shiho is a strong person, little thief. I have no doubt that she shall fight her way back towards the light._

And then, a little softer: _It is not thy fault, Ren. Thou didst everything that thou could have done._

It had helped immensely.

And then Arsene simply kept doing it, randomly materializing in the attic whenever Sojiro had left for the evening. At one point he'd expressed interest in reading, and Ren had bought him the _Arsène Lupin_ books on a whim, and Arsene had happily fluffed up his wings after he'd made himself comfortable on Ren's bed and started reading.

(Morgana, upon walking up from his last sweep downstairs, had stopped and just kind of… stared… at the demonic-looking persona happily curled up on the bed, and glanced in disbelief at Ren, who'd shrugged. It was endearing, how absorbed Arsene was in the books, and how carefully he'd seated himself onto the bed, making sure that his shoes didn't touch the mattress.)

But lately he was always hovering intensely around Ren, and Ren didn't know _why._

Morgana chimed in: "It's true! He's kind of… mopey, really."

"Your persona is… mopey?" Makoto looked skeptical, but Ren nodded. "His wings are all very droopey, and his face-mask-thing --" here, Ren gestured at his own face, especially at his eyes, "-- has gone all murky. And I don't know _why_." 

A second of silence.

"Maybe he is feeling jealous?" Yusuke offered.

Everyone stared at him. Yusuke blushed. "Well. I mean, Ren has a great many persona, and Arsene hadn't been fighting much, lately, right?"

Another second of silence, until--

"That makes a strangely large amount of sense." That was Ann. "And you usually let go of most of the other persona that you pick up in the palaces, but you didn't, this time."

Ren blinks, thinks back to two weeks ago. Huh. Ann was right. They've been dealing with an increase of shadows in Mementos, and so he'd kept the other persona around much longer than he usually does -- he sort of, kind of, stores them in the Velvet Room, so that he can call upon them again when needed? Only, not really? Actually, it's more like he phones them and they come and help him out again? They share Arsene's mental space in the back of Ren's mind when they actively infiltrate a palace, though.

Kind of like Pokémon, actually --

oh wow, that was a surprisingly apt comparison.

Arsene was waking up now, though, the smokiness spreading through Ren's body like something slow and languid, and he blinked his recent thoughts away. "Thanks, guys."

Ann hummed in understanding and smoothly redirected the conversation, to Makoto's utter bewilderment.

Arsene caught the tail-end of Ren's amused thoughts. _Ren?_

Ren chuckled, still stuck on the last thought, and couldn't help himself. _Go, Arsene! I choose you!_

Bewilderment met him.

* * *

Once Ren left the other persona back in the Velvet Room-storage box-thing, Arsene was back to his normal, bewildering self. Ren had found himself grinning at how adorably jealous the demon thief was, and then thought:

_Oh._

He glanced at Arsene again, as he once more tried to drink coffee, without much success. Apparently it was all about _willpower_ and _belief,_ and _making an effort,_ but it was easier in Mementos than in the real world? Anyways, Ren let his eyes roam over his persona, over the red leather of his clothes to the weirdly hollow top hat to the honestly (in Ryuji's words, not Ren's) _fucking amazing knife-heel boots_ and lastly, to Arsene's face, his fire burning in a kind of disgruntled way, all low embers with sparks at the edges.

Thought, _oh no._

And then promptly showed those thoughts away before Arsene could feel them, into that small, still private space of his head.

* * *

They had called a Phantom Thieves meeting the second the whole Medjed thing had become unpredictable and out-of-hand: Alibaba had contacted them, told them to steal a heart in exchange of taking care of Medjed, and then promptly disappeared again from the face of the earth once they'd tried to probe deeper.

Their ragtag group of misfit thieves was in Mementos, now, in a previously-cleared space, and everyone was sitting in a loose circle while mulling over the recent turn of events.

"-we can't trust Alibaba, is all I'm saying!" Makoto -- no, she was Queen now, unyielding and fierce, just as Ren was Joker now, and Ryuji was more Skull than Ryuji, all of them settling into their phantom thief selves like coming home into your second skin. A privilege that they could only really allow themselves in Mementos, because they could only really _be_ themselves in this place of distorted desires.

 _"I do agree with Queen on this, mis amores."_ Carmen sighed, to a round of murmured comments from Arsene, Zorro, Goemon and Mona. _"It is quite suspicious that Alibaba wishes to help us take down this Medjed, only to withdraw their request and block us."_

 _"But we cannot_ not _do anything."_

Joker flinched. Therein lies the crux of their problem: they could not target Medjed, because Medjed was a anonymous group of internet hackers, and Alibaba was way too sketchy. Johanna and Carmen -- it really was mostly Johanna and Carmen right now, the two persona bickering back and forth while everyone else was lost in their thoughts -- were both right, that was the problem.

Joker sighed, glanced over their group (his group, his phantom thieves): Skull and Captain Kidd were surprisingly silent while letting the others talk, Skull only occasionally chiming in to snark at Mona, who was vehemently siding with Carmen and Queen. Zorro was mostly keeping an eye on approaching shadows while he stood at the edge of the group, his fingers twitching every-so-often when one managed to stray too near. Fox thought they should help Alibaba because their situation might be similar to his own, and Goemon had agreed with him, siding with Johanna, while conceding that Queen was right to be so cautious. Panther was worrying her lips, her gaze constantly finding Joker's while she was mulling something over.

Leaning back against where Joker knew Arsene was standing, the leader of the Phantom Thieves let his head thunk against the persona's leg. "What do you think, Arsene? You've been awfully quiet the whole day."

 _"This is a difficult situation, I must admit. It would not do for us voleurs fantômes to fall at the invisible hands of this Medjed, but yet the only way to truly counter them is to trust in this Alibaba fellow, whom we do not know anything about."_ A low feeling of dissatisfaction spread through Joker that turned into something almost… anticipatory, before it resolved and disappeared just as fast, Arsene tilting forward until his wings cast a shadow over Joker. _"It is thy decision, Joker. I shall trust in it, whatever it may be. We are but at a crossroads with two equally mysterious ends in sight."_ Something like a grin spread over Arsene's mask, almost manic in its quality. _"Do we plunge headfirst into danger unknown? Shall the Phantom Thieves of Hearts come out victorious? Only the lady of luck shall know."_

Joker sometimes forgot that Arsene, for all of his (flamboyant) gentlemanly veneer, was just as insane as the rest of their group -- more so, even, because he was pretty much _Arsene Lupin, gentleman phantom thief_. He just hid it better than others; Joker heard him and Carmen discuss the finer points of pickpocketing once.

(Don't get him wrong, Joker thinking that they were insane was a compliment: you had to be at least somewhat, to regularly risk your life by vaulting over high-security walls and fighting against shadows.)

Still; Joker didn't think that he's ever seen Arsene look so in-his-element as in that moment, save for maybe their first meeting: his wings were quivering in excitement, his fire burning bright and full of ecstatic passion. He looked _incredible_ , like this, all sharp angles and powerful stance, like a predator with his claws gleaming, and sent something low and hot pooling in Joker's stomach. 

(Joker had never really thought of himself as attracted to men before, had never really crossed his mind that he could be like _one of those, you know, like Tatsumi-kun,_ had thought even less about finding Arsene attractive in all of his inhuman-ness, but he might have to start to reconsider his stance on such things. Because those claws, so terrifying when rendering a shadow apart, but also so gentle when being a reassuring weight on Joker's nape. Or those wings with their soft feathers, and the quite literal mask of a face, so expressive with its burning flames.

…

…

Yeah, so Joker certainly had to reconsider his stance on being attracted to men in general and Arsene as a man-shaped-being in particular.

And also: was it narcissistic, being attracted to his own persona, a reflection of his self?)

_"Joker?"_

"Leader?"

Shaking himself to re-center his focus back on the group, Joker was met with silence as everyone waited for his answer, and he let a grin stretch across his face, his head tipping to acknowledge Skull. "Let's try carefully contacting Alibaba again, or at least to figure out who they wanted us to steal a heart from -- Medjed's given us an ultimatum to the end of the month, so Alibaba is the more pressing concern for now. I know that we're worried about their intentions, but it's our best bet."

Everyone agreed.

* * *

Ren was _falling,_ an attack from a sneaky shadow throwing him off of the great pyramid that was Futaba's Palace, the ground rapidly approaching him.

His first thought, past the blinding headache he was currently experiencing after being bludgeoned in the head, was _ow._

His second thought was, _I really need to finally finish that grappling hook that I've been sitting on._

His third thought, as the earth was rapidly approaching, was _sheer unadulterated panic_ and _worry_ and _desperation_ and oh, that wasn't from him, actually.

 _Arsene?_ Ren thought at the knot of worry and anxiety at the back of his mind, and Arsene replied with another jumble of panic-worry-Ren!-falling- _no!-callme_ , and then Ren managed to move his fingers towards his mask, whispering Arsene's name with the little breath he had left in his lungs, and Arsene materialized around him, cradling Ren close to his chest while he spread his wings afar to slow their crash into a rough landing.

Ren could vaguely hear the other thieves calling his name while they made their way down to him and Arsene, but all of his attention was riveted on his terrified persona -- Arsene had burrowed his face into Ren's neck _(which, ow_ ,) and was thrumming at Ren like some sort of bird, his wings quivering in panic and his claws drawing blood from the sheer force of their grip. Their shared mental space was still an indecipherable mess of emotions, panic and worry only slowly ebbing away to gratitude, sheer affection coating Ren's insides until he felt as if his heart was floaty and his head full of cotton candy.

Actually, his head might've been light because of a concussion, but _anyways--_

Still, he's never felt clearer-headed than in that moment, ironically, and so Ren grinned a softer version of Joker's grin at Arsene, and tugged at the persona's mask until they were face-to-face, and then he pressed his lips squarely there where Arsene's mouth was, flames licking at his face.

Arsene made a choked-off noise and froze on Ren, but that was okay, because Ren could feel his pleased shock. The others were still a fair way off, and the lightheadedness from being bludgeoned in the head was kicking in. He smiled once more--

And then Ren passed out.

* * *

The next day, they didn't venture into the palace, instead stocking up on items and weapons -- Ren finally, _finally_ finished the grappling hook.

(Or, well, the facsimile of the grappling hook that will turn into an actual one by the power of cognition or whatever bullshit that made their toy guns real in the cognitive world.)

Morgana was off with Makoto that day, all of the other members of the Phantom Thieves agreeing to let Ren rest at Leblanc for the whole afternoon after school had finished, not that he could really blame them. They'd made great headway into the palace, anyways, and would probably be done with it in less than a week.

Glancing down at his essay that he'd been constantly ignoring for the better part of the last week and which was due in three days and which he should really finish, Ren sighed instead. He pushed it out of the way and leaned back in his seat and nudged at Arsene's consciousness in the back of his mind.

The persona was quite sullen, downtrodden even, since yesterday, and had been doing his best to hide whatever emotional spillover that happened between the two of them -- something he hadn't done ever since his jealous episode, all those weeks back. Ren could guess as to why, and a shiver of tension ran down his spine.

Maybe he shouldn't have kissed Arsene, but -- he'd _felt_ the emotional feedback loop, damnit.

Still; maybe it was time to address the issue head-on. He nudged the ball of grumpy consciousness again.

"Arsene."

Like listening to a siren's call, the demonic persona materialized on Ren's bed, his mask a careful blank, the fire burning a steady flame. And _oh_ , Ren had been a fool before, to never notice, hadn't he? Apparently he wasn't the only one suddenly stuck by confusing feelings -- Arsene slammed the thought shut with a flinch, and Ren smiled, finding a part of a puzzle where he didn't even know he was missing a piece.

_Ren. Thou wished to speak to me?_

Always so formal, his Arsene, wasn't he? Ren grinned, before his expression grew softer. First things first. "Thank you for saving me yesterday. I don't want to think about what would've happened if you didn't."

Some of the fire returned to Arsene, even as Ren felt flusterment that wasn't his own. _Thou do not have to thank me, little thief. It is only natural that I would save thee._

Ren grinned, oddly charmed. Arsene let some of his tension bleed out of his form, his flames licking into a wry grin. _Do try to not get us flung out of a pyramid the next time, though. I am not quite as fond of flying without the aide of my wings._

"Hm. I'll keep that in mind, then. For the next time."

The persona rolled his eyes. _Yes. 'For the next time.'_ _Perish the thought, my other half, for that had been quite enough excitement for I._

"I don't know," Ren begun, heart in his throat. "The end results were quite enjoyable, my concussion notwithstanding." There was a stumble in the emotional feedback, as if Arsene's thoughts ground to a halt, but Ren could make out a distinctly pleased shiver, and so he rolled over his desk chair until he and the persona were only a head apart, Ren's arms calculatedly casual while they braced his chin on the backside of it. "Of course," he started, even more casual, "I _am_ amenable to repeat them without the whole free-falling thing. If you would want."

Arsene blinked.

And then scoffed. _Amenable, he says. If I were amenable. Giving me such a fright and then asking me, asking I, who is a representation of thee, if I am 'amenable' --_ he ruffled his feathers, eyes blazing while he leaned forward. _Ren, you foolish idiot, I have been--_

 _\--courting me,_ Ren finished. He'd grabbed Arsene by the horns and leaned in at the same time Arsene had leaned forward, a mirror of yesterday. Ren couldn't help himself; for the past minute or so, the only feeling he's been experiencing was _affection-joy-idiot-love-yes,_ and it was addicting. Arsene's flames licked at his face, grew hotter until the heat was almost unbearable -- but Ren didn't let go and relished in the alien feeling, let all of tomorrow's worries fall to tomorrow.

They separated when Arsene's mask became too hot to touch without burning, and the persona grinned ruefully. _I am- sorry, mon petit voleur. It was not within my intentions to hurt thee._

There was an echo, something that translated roughly to _If I were human, then--_ before Ren exiled the thought from both of their minds by lacing their fingers together. He glanced down at those gentle claws. Glanced up at Arsene's face.

Grinned.

"You dork." He said, voice full of mirth. "Who flirts by trying to drink coffee _without a physical mouth?"_

 _This one,_ Arsene said, equally amused. 

A thought struck Ren, then: "That's why you've been materializing so often?"

A wing shifted as clawed hands squeezed Ren's own. _Partially. I also do quite honestly enjoy being on the physical plane, unlike most other persona, for some peculiar reason. And also because I agree with Morgana that thee need looking after, Ren, with how often thou manage to get into trouble._

A blink.

"Pot, kettle, Mr. 'I am a reflection of thyself.'"

_Well._

And then they kissed again.

* * *

(Futaba was fully on board of the persona-are-Pokémon train that Ren was starting, once they cleared her palace and she cleared up the situation with Medjed. And she also was a great navigator, and had a wicked sense of humor once she opened up to the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

Ren may or may not have instantly adopted her as a little sister.

Arsene certainly agreed with him on that.)


	2. I spent my days waiting for you

Nothing much really changed in their relationship after that -- though Arsene had a newfound love for what felt like a thousand new pet names for Ren, which the persona didn't feel shy at all to use during mid-combat. They might brush shoulder-to-wing more often than before, and then Goemon had figured out that the persona could be seen in reflections or shadows in the real world, which distracted everyone from other matters. The persona kind of went overboard with trying to scare their users by randomly moving the shared reflections around.

Arsene used it to relentlessly flirt with Ren, to his chagrin. Either by looking like, well, Arsene himself, or by looking like Ren, which kind of answered his previous thoughts on narcissism.

At least Ryuji got a kick out of having a mirror-twin, even if the others found it strange, not that Ren could relate to that.

It seemed that most persona who weren't Arsene preferred the reflections to actually materializing in the real world, which made _some_ amount of sense, and the only indication when a persona had slipped into a reflection when not showing themselves as persona were the yellow eyes, which wasn't always noticeable (and which made the persona-reflections look eerily like shadows, actually, which also sadly made a rather large amount of worrying sense.)

And then on one memorable occasion the persona started helping them in class by whispering answers to the various questions, to differing degrees of usefulness.

(Apparently Captain Kidd was really good at math?)

_Still._ The point of all of that being that Ren may or may not have forgotten to tell the other Phantom Thieves (and persona) that he and Arsene were, like, _a thing,_ which was currently kind of biting him in the ass.

"Dude? _Dude??_ You don't just conveniently forget to tell your whole team that the belligerent sexual tension that you had going on with your persona was resolved! Especially if it means that we find you doing-- _...what exactly_ are you doing, Ren?"

Ren, who had been in the process of reading one of the _Arsène Lupin_ novels out loud with Arsene (in _French,_ even, mind you! Arsene had terribly effective puppy-dog eyes for a demon with a mask for a face and fire for eyes), lowered the book. "Reading." He said, voice completely flat. Arsene, who had his head leaning on Ren's shoulders, thrummed in amusement. " _I have been teaching him French."_

They were curled up on the couch in the shared hotel room in Hawaii, Ren gladly letting Mishima go with Ryuji to have their fun for two or three hours of peace and quiet -- Ren was as much of a fan of exploring the island as his friends, but after encountering a pair of brothers who may or may not have been on the run from the local, strangely black-dressed mafia, Ren's had enough of exploring the island, thank you very much.

(Well, at least he _thought_ that they were brothers, considering how similar to each other they looked, though the only thing that Ren could still remember about their appearance were the kid's overly-large glasses and the lunatic grin of the older, weirdly enough.)

He'd yanked them to the side and away from those men, considering it was practically second-nature by now, instinct honed by phantom thieving urging him on to seek out shelter, and so the three of them spent agonizing five minutes in a janitor's closet in which Ren didn't ask the burning questions he wanted to ask, and then parted ways with grave nods of acknowledgement.

Still, Ren thought that he deserved some down time after his strange afternoon.

Apparently not so.

Ryuji made a face, overnight bag slung over his shoulders. " _Aww man,_ now I owe Ann a lunch."

Ren blinked, not expecting this. Actually, no part of this exchange had gone like he'd expected it to go, but that was for later. "Huh?"

Ryuji grinned sheepishly. "Ann was certain that the increase in pet names meant a relationship upgrade. I told her that there's no way that you had gotten that far. Now I owe her lunch. Inari agreed with her, can you believe it! At least he didn't bet." Then the blonde grimaced. "And also, I'm sleeping over tonight, because my roommate has his girlfriend over, which is _awkward as fuck."_

He eyed the huddled-together pile of Ren-and-Arsene. "No funny business, dude, yeah?"

Ren rolled his eyes as Arsene dematerialized with a booming laugh, winking at Ryuji as he did. "...you bet on how long it would take for us to get together?"

Ryuji nodded. "Your complains were right out of those trashy telenovelas my Ma loves to watch. Like, not to insult you or anything, Ren-Ren, but you've been practically acting like a grumpy… spouse, I guess, who was constantly complaining good-naturedly about their partner."

Ren managed to blush a fascinating shade of red. Arsene's amusement curled around his heart. _He is not wrong, though I had been unaware how much thou complained about me to thy friends._

_Coffee! Without! A! Mouth!_

Arsene laughed again, and Ryuji too, a teasing lilt to his next words: "See! There you go off into persona-dreamland."

This was torture. Ren let his head fall onto the book with a loud _thunk!_ "You two are impossibl--"

Someone knocked on their door, and Ren and Ryuji shared a glance before the latter walked over and opened it to a grumpy Ann and twitching Mishima. Ryuji let them in with a questioning noise.

"I'm staying here," Ann announced to an eye-twitch by Mishima. "My roommate is off with her boyfriend and locked me out of our room."

Ren blinked placidly while Ryuji spluttered.

_There is certainly no rest for the wicked, hm, my dearest?_

There really wasn't.

Mishima left them afterwards, going down to the lobby to meet with a phantom-afictionado (and very pointedly taking his own set of spare keys with him), and Ren was left to sort out the mess of their sleeping arrangements. He ended up taking the couch, leaving Ann his bed, and Ryuji settled down on the floor with a remark about "Mishima's fragile bones". There even was blessed silence, for all of three minutes, before Ryuji turned towards Ann with a shit-eating grin.

"Guess what, Panther!"

Ren sighed. They were doing it.

Ann hummed. "You finally got laid? With one of your _hot, foreign babes_?" She grinned a Cheshire cat's grin, and even Ren had to chuckle at Ryuji's splutter.

"You- what-- _you heard that?!_ No, wait. That's not what I meant."

The leader of the Phantom Thieves had a bad feeling about this.

Ryuji continued. "At least I'm not the one who got laid." 

The other blonde blinked. "I can't imagine Yusuk-- wait. Wait."

(Ren died a little inside.)

"Yep. I owe you lunch."

She narrowed her eyes. " _Amamiya Ren!"_

Ren flinched at the tone -- not that Arsene was helping, thoroughly enjoying all of this. Ann glowered at him for another second, before she broke into a grin and jumped to the edge of the bed. "Finally! I'm really happy for you two, but also-- _talk_. I want details, _now."_

Ryuji, the traitor, also turned to Ren, who sighed in resignation. "You guys do know that Arsene can hear all of this."

Ann shrugged. "Carmen's been dying to know as well. Actually, wait--" She stood up and went over to the windows, drapes pulled shut against the light of the city, before she opened them with relish, all three reflections staring back at them with golden eyes.

_"My Ann is correct, Joker. I have been_ dying _to know."_ Carmen drawled, before she smirked and turned to Arsene, who was mirroring Ren's slouch against the back of the couch. _"Do not keep us waiting, Mr. Gentleman Thief; this is the most entertainment I've had ever since this trip."_

_"I am glad that thou findst my life this intriguing."_ Arsene rolled his eyes, before glancing at Ren, a sudden inspiration bolting between them. _"Well, if all of ye truly wish to know--"_

"Damn well we do," Ryuji muttered, as transfixed on the persona as Ann and Captain Kidd were.

_"-- then it started when my dear, foolish thief forgot that his grappling hook was not yet part of our arsenal. And while I, myself, am quite fond of free-falling, it is not Ren who has wings..."_

* * *

* * *

They couldn't save Haru's father, in the end --

or, rather, Haru's father was killed after his change of heart from a heart failure induced by stress, and the blame was put squarely on the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, for they were useful scapegoats in the eyes of the public.

"It has to be that Black Mask," Morgana hissed, his fur bristling. "And he's making us out to be the bad guys.

"And now we have to deal with that detective, too."

Ren glanced over to his (sort of not-)cat. It was all very troubling, yes, especially because Akechi had managed to blackmail them into joining the Phantom Thieves.

_But that is almost tradition, at this point, is it not?_

Well, yes, Arsene, but that wasn't really the point-!

The point was that Akechi was a dirty liar, and he would certainly try and sell the other thieves and -- especially -- Ren out. They had to prepare for that possibility. They _were_ preparing for that possibility. Ren was also worried about Makoto, because he could see that she was stressing herself out over her sister, and Ren was worried about Futaba and about Haru, because Haru's father died barely a few weeks ago and Futaba's had problems with child services and also because the Boss had found out that they were the Phantom Thieves. And Ren was also worried about Yusuke, because he's been getting thinner again and probably wasn't eating well, and about Ann, who was still worrying herself sick about the slowly-recovering Shiho, and about Ryuji, because his leg was bothering him again, and about all of Ren's other social links, and--

_Breathe, Ren. Thou art hyperventilating._ Ren did, not having noticed that his vision had started to become spotty. Morgana was eyeing him with concern. _I am aware that this is a... less-than-ideal situation that we have found ourselves in, but the Phantom Thieves have overcome greater foes._

But they haven't; that was the whole problem. They _haven't_.

Still. With some effort (and murmured encouragement), Ren managed to get his breathing under control. They _could do this._ They were the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and nothing could stop them, not even fake team members.

"Right." Ren muttered. "Call the others together for a meeting -- but be _discreet._ We don't want Crow to find out about this. I have a plan."

_Ren, dearest, no. It is a horrible plan. Thou know it._

But it was still their best bet. Morgana nodded, worry still etched into his features, before he turned around and left -- Futaba was working on newly encrypting their phones, but it would still take a day or two until she was finished, and until then, Ren didn't plan on risking it.

Ren had a team to save.

* * *

(By some weird coincidence, or dramatic irony, the Phantom Thieves had forgotten to mention to Haru that their leader was together in a relationship with his main persona -- and then Akechi came along, and he wasn't told because he wasn't trusted, not really, and thus, as fate would have it, both of them came to the realization at the same moment: in Sae's Palace, roughly a week before their time limit was up. Less. Joker had been grabbed by a flying shadow and dragged to the ceiling, where he'd been let go in what Haru -- Noir -- would have believed to be a certain loss, when Joker had used a grappling hook to save himself.

Arsene had burst forth without being called and had swiftly dealt with the shadow before cradling Joker in his hands and landing on the floor a short distance from the rest of the Thieves, Noir and Crow having a front-row seat as the persona mantled his wings around the human, their voices too low to carry -- except for Arsene's last words, which were _why do thee have to do this to my heart, my dearest._

Noir barely had a second to think, _oh, they're always so affectionate to each other!_ before Arsene dipped down and pressed his mask-face to Joker's, almost as if they were--

"...are they kissing?" Crow asked, almost hissed, something genuine and scandalized entering his usually fake-placid expression.

Noir felt, at once, highly defensive. _"So what if they are?"_

She watched with some satisfaction as the detective flinched as he noticed his own faux-pass. "Nothing. I'm merely surprised. I hadn't expected it."

Well, Noir hadn't, either, but she wasn't about to voice it.

Another team member gave a long-suffering sigh as Ren seemed to deepen the kiss. Noir turned around. "Does this happen often?" _And if yes, how come I didn't know about it?_ She'd only been a member for roughly two months, but still.

"Oh no," Panther said. "Only when Joker manages to get himself into a dangerous situation with his grappling hook."

"Maybe twice before? The first time notwithstanding." Oracle added, before she marched over to the two, leaving Noir and Crow and the others behind.

At the back of Noir's head, Milady's presence hummed in amusement. _My oh my, what a pair they are, our fearless leaders.)_

* * *

Their plan had worked, in the end, Ren thought with no small amount of vitriol. Akechi had fallen for it hook, line and sinker, not suspecting a thing.

He winced as Sae helped him through the door to Leblanc where the others were waiting with bated breath, and the room erupted into anxious chatter the second his Phantom Thieves saw the sorry state Ren was in. Sae held onto his arm until Ren had made it safely onto one of the barstools, and he thanked her with a nod before being mobbed by the others. The fact that the plan had worked --

Well. Ren had never felt so lucky in his life before.

_Thou should rest and see thy doctor, mon petit voleur. Thou art still feeling lightheaded._

Well; almost never so lucky. Ren would, of course, as soon as business was over. Everybody started chattering around him, seven voices trying to talk over each other at rapid speed, and both Sae and the Boss were trying to wrap their mind around things; Haru was speaking to Ren, too, while the others took their turns to explain how they'd pulled it off even though the news was still playing the broadcast of his apparent suicide, and Arsene's mood fouled considerably the more Ren ignored him.

He tried to focus on what Haru was saying -- her hand was prodding his cheek, but Ren only felt the echo of the sting he knew he'd feel, exhaustion suddenly hitting him _hard,_ and then Haru's voice grew concerned, and the background noise quieted down, a heavy silence settling around everyone.

Haru said something to Makoto, who grimaced, and then Yusuke was crouching in front of Ren with a worried gaze, asking him something, his hand inches from Ren's face --

it never touched, though, because Arsene grabbed it, materializing in front of Ren. Ren kind of… stared, feeling the annoyance radiating off of his persona, and then the chatter of the room resumed, more quiet this time, and Ren exhaled a tired breath before he leaned his forehead against one of Arsene's wing, the persona's cool body temperature doing wonders for the suffocating heat he was feeling.

Ren was _so tired._

* * *

Arsene had been trying to get his foolish boy to listen, to no avail; Ren was utterly exhausted, Arsene could tell, and yet he was subjecting himself to meeting with all of his friends instead of going to the holder of the Death arcana. The Empress touching his Fool already made Arsene grit non-existent teeth, because Ren didn't even notice the pain that he started radiating, but when the Emperor also made to touch him (all in good faith, Arsene knew, but Ren was in _so much pain,_ and none of the others were _seeing it_ , because they didn't know what Ren had gone through in that interrogation cell. Only Arsene knew the truth, and he had felt so _livid_ when Ren had forbidden him from protecting him, and Arsene had felt as if he'd failed as a persona).

(The others, who were still partially sharing Arsene and Ren's mind-space, had been equally as distraught, but none of them had the power of will needed to materialize as physically and constantly as Arsene did. They were dormant right now, succumbing to all of the negative feedback Ren had been unknowingly and unwillingly sending because of the truth serum he had been given. Only Arsene was still awake, because Arsene had no desire to let Ren go through all of it on his own -- that was what persona were there for.)

And so Arsene had materialized (carefully) in front of Yusuke, ignored the low-breathed swearing from the Hierophant and the shocked step back from Judgement, and cautiously grabbed the artist's hand mere inches from Ren's face.

_"Please do not,"_ he said, out loud because he was not sharing a mind with these people. _"Ren is feeling significant pain from his wounds, even if he does not wish to admit it."_

Yusuke sheepishly took his hand back. "My apologies, Arsene. It just seemed like he has a fever, and I wanted to check."

The holder of Jugement twitched at the name but determinedly took a step forward. Arsene could see from where the Priestess got her own from. "Arsene..." she muttered. "One of the persona?"

He sighed, but answered dutifully to both her and Sojiro. _"Oui. I am Arsene, our fearless leader's main persona. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."_ He turned back towards Yusuke. _"And I am quite aware that my thief has a fever. As well as a concussion and bruised, if not broken, ribs -- amongst other -- which is why I would propose to go and find Death to look him over."_

"Find _death-"_ This was Sojiro, aghast, but the Hermit explained: "That doctor lady, Takumi Tae? She owns the death arcana. She'll get Ren's HP back to 100%." She bit her lip. "All of us represent an arcana that only Ren or the persona can see, sort of?"

Arsene nodded again, and felt Ren burn up through their link, felt him lean his head against Arsene's cooler body, and stiffened at the same time as he started thrumming at Ren to stay awake. He thrummed _love_ and _affection_ and _safety_ at Ren, even if it was so mushy that it made his face light up (literally. Sae Niijima re-took the step back that she had taken forward). He turned towards the Magician and the Lovers holders -- towards Zorro and Carmen, who were hovering in the glass panel reflection looking just as worried. _"Please contact the holder of Death as soon as possible; I do not wish for ma moitié to get even sicker."_

Ann paled but did as she was told and Arsene let out a breath that he didn't need and carefully turned around, catching Ren's swaying body in his arms. His human was hurting so much…

_"I shall take him upstairs; I do not think that Ren will be able to make it to the fair lady's office."_

Unsurprisingly, no-one protested too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> being Ren is suffering...


	3. at best, I am a series of failed experiments; broken down pieces

(Over the following four days after Ren was brought back and patched up by Tae to the best of her abilities, Arsene-the-demonic-looking-persona-thing kept randomly materializing inside Leblanc, almost giving Sojiro a heart attack each and every time. It -- he? -- seemed hell-bent on making sure that the kid rested as much as possible, and generally made a good job of keeping Ren confined to his bed, and had also given Sojiro answers to some of the questions that Futaba had not been able to answer, and played translator for Morgana, who was a _talking_ cat. It -- he, damnit -- was also obviously very worried about Ren, and Sojiro had heard him read to his charge twice now, once in Japanese and once in what the owner of Leblanc surmised to be Italian or Spanish or French or something.

It made Sojiro certainly less worried to leave a demon-persona-whatever alone with Ren and Morgana-the-talking-cat, especially since, from what he'd gathered from Futaba, a persona was _somehow_ a representation of their innermost, rebellious selves. There was a lot of cognitive science involved, but he at least understood _that._

Ren's friends kept visiting, cautiously, two at least every day, some hours apart, because they were also incredibly worried; they had to watch out to not to raise too much suspicion in Akechi Goro, greatest high-school detective wunderkind that Tokyo's had ever since that Kudo Shinichi had gone missing, years ago, and the Hakuba kid had gone back to England.

Sojiro sighed, and then sighed again as Arsene-the-not-literally-a-demon materialized out of nothing to clear away the last few dishes from the empty tables -- the café had closed ten minutes ago with the last customer leaving, and Sojiro didn't worry about Arsene being seen, because apparently only confidantes could make him out clearly, or something? It was all some stupid magic to the man, and he left it at that. Still. He glanced at the blank mask -- it _looked_ downtrodden, somehow -- and down at the cup of coffee in his hand, feeling ridiculous.

"...do you want a coffee?"

Arsene, who had been turning the 'open' sign around, paused, before finishing the action, slowly.

Sojiro felt incredibly stupid as the dem- _persona_ made his way over to the counter, his _mouth-less_ face looking at the cup. Right. The persona that had a literal painted-on fire for a mouth. Right.

Hell, Sojiro was really worried about Ren, but the kid was _his charge_ , at least until February. The kid _was_ his.

Then, those flames somehow curved into an amused smile. _"Gladly."_

Arsene sat down, stared at the cup of coffee, _hard,_ and Sojiro was about to tell him that he didn't have to, if he didn't want -- he really took the whole 'gentleman thief' to the same level as Phantom Thief 1412 did. And that was a thought, Sojiro mused. Who is to say that Ren wouldn't go off thieving to his heart's content internationally, as KID had done once more, barely two years ago? Sojiro had been to exactly one heist, back when Wakaba was still alive, and that had been more than enough excitement and magic for him.

…

And then Arsene drank the coffee.

_Somehow._

The persona hummed a pleased hum, staring down at the empty cup in -- melancholy? Contemplation? Murder? Sojiro didn't know.

_"I see that Ren's praise is not without merit. This was a splendid cup of coffee, Hierophant. Thank you."_

And then he was gone, presumably back to Ren.)

* * *

* * *

(Sae had gotten a rundown from Makoto, once she's finally had the time to talk to her little sister, about the past months of phantom thieving, and it perfectly collaborated with Amamiya's story: it was chilling to know that Sae had been so ignorant of all of the danger that Makoto had been in, and the whole Metaverse-metaphysical-realm things were not as placating as Makoto seemed to have hoped.

_"And that Arsene,"_ Sae had asked, still remembering how terrifyingly demonic he had looked, with horns and wings and claws and fire for eyes, like something out of a nightmare. How unbelievably gentle he had been with Amamiya, cradling him in his arms while carrying the exhausted teenager up the stars.

Makoto, unexplainably, had smiled gently. _"As long as Ren wants it so, Arsene is a harmless flirt. You have to understand, sis, that a persona is a reflection of who we are --_ I am thou, and thou art I _\-- and Arsene cares a great deal about Ren, just as Ren does about Arsene. Just as I do about Johanna."_ Then she'd paused, before adding: _"Well. Almost. In a different way. Not exactly the same."_

Sae hadn't understood it, the day before yesterday, but now that she's had two relatively work-free days to ponder over that cryptic not-answer, and had those selfsame days to pay some attention to Makoto, she had come to the conclusion that whenever Makoto would distractedly stare into space or hum to herself she was talking to Johanna. And then she found Makoto's mirror image staring back at her from the window pane while Makoto was chatting on her phone, completely engrossed with the Okumura girl, and Sae felt a shiver run down her spine as the yellow-eyed reflection mouthed her name.

But Sae was not a coward, and so she nodded curtly. Mouthed _Johanna, I presume?_ back at the reflection.

_Yes,_ it mouthed. _A pleasure to meet you._

* * *

Makoto was away more often than not, a few days later, and while Sae hadn't paid much attention to it before, she did now. It seemed that the Phantom Thieves were planning their last hurrah, now that their leader was feeling better. That meeting two days ago certainly helped shed some light on the last few mysteries Sae has had, and even Arsene's unnerving presence had lessened due to the fact that he had been nursing a cup of coffee… somehow, like a dragon that was hoarding gold. She believed it to have been a calculated move to appear as non-threatening as possible towards her.

She'd talked with Sakura about the weird turn of events that their lives had taken, and that sparked the current question. "How come that your persona never… materializes? From what Sakura has told me, Arsene had been around almost every day. If it is because of me -- I do not mind."

They had, in fact, exchanged phone numbers to keep each other in the loop.

Makoto pursed her lips.

Sae sighed. "... I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable with having to hide Johanna from me, Makoto. I'm- trying, I really am."

Her younger sister sighed. "It's not that, sis. Persona, generally speaking, don't like to materialize in the real world. And Johanna in particular looks like a motorbike, which is generally not suited to a cramped apartment."

A motorbike-? Yes, Amamiya had mentioned it, during the interrogation. Sae had not believed him then. "I see."

Makoto shrugged and smiled. "Johanna appreciates the sentiment, as do I. And Arsene is a special case -- he enjoys spending his time here, and usually reads or simply listens to us talking. The others are content with watching us through reflections, and with being silent spectators."

Sae nodded as if she was completely happy with the answer and not burning with more questions and hypotheses and curiosity, and let Makoto run off while she sorted through her documents. It seemed that the Phantom Thieves of Hearts were doing their part in discovering the perpetrator of the psychotic breakdowns; it was high time that Sae helped them from the legal side of matters.)

* * *

* * *

They were standing in front of a god, down to their last leg, on top of the Tokyo skyline -- over the Tokyo skyline, the garish insides of Mementos turned out for all to see.

They were standing in front of a god, and had called for another god to defeat him, and Ren's vision was blurry and his arm was trembling, where he was holding out his gun, defiantly aimed at Yaldabaoth's front.

Ren was standing in front of a god, and the god was whispering promises of a better future into his ears like a siren to a sailor, and Ren's arm was trembling and his hand was slick with blood, but he still held onto the gun as he grit his teeth. They had been unmade, forgotten, and then Ren had found himself back in the Velvet Room with the real Igor and the newly-united Lavenza, and Arsene a worried silence in the back of his mind, and Ren had gone and saved all of his team members. They had fought hard, all of them, their greatest battles to date, and had found newfound strengt in their bonds, and they had faced god and put their faith into Ren.

And so.

Ren was standing in front of a god, and he did not listen to promises of an empty future born of betrayal, and

he 

killed 

the god. 

(And then, there was darkness, and then: _light._

And Morgana told them good-bye amidst tears and laughter as the Metaverse disappeared around them and around Tokyo, and it was finally, finally _over_ , a bittersweet victory in the face of what they had lost.)

(Because they had gone into this last battle, this last heist where the treasure was humanity's freedom, with the possibility of loss, as neither the persona nor the humans knew how tomorrow would look. With the Holy Grail gone, would there be a Metaverse? And now Ren held the World in his hands, and he could feel--

Well.)

(Humanity had won.)

(Arsene had said good-bye, whispered a fond _We shall meet again,_ an ironic echo of their discussion in the Velvet Room all of those months ago, and then he'd shattered the chains binding them together and ascended into something that was strong enough to withstand and kill Yaldabaoth, and Ren had watched with his heart in his throat and had been unable to say anything.

Satanael had killed Yaldabaoth, taking with him the other half of Ren's soul.)

* * *

They had returned to Leblanc tired and weary but _proud_ , and Sojiro had taken one look at them and had ushered them towards Ren's room before closing up the shop, not that there was much clientele, anyways. Ren followed after his friends with a heaviness he hadn't felt ever since April last year, and an emptiness that seemed downright hollow, a mind so empty it felt vacant, Sae's words still ringing in his ears.

He stopped walking once he'd reached the middle of his room, suddenly unable to continue, as he took in the life that he'd carved out for himself in Tokyo.

He would miss this.

But now that Mona had done his part, now that Arsene had done his, it was time for Ren to finish it --

He sighed, thumbed at his collarbone in an aborted gesture of comfort, and sighed again.

(Haru noticed. The others did too, but Haru was the only one who saw the brief flash of _pain_ that stole over Ren's face, and she squeezed her fingers into her palm to not immediately reach out for the other teen. She missed Milady immensely, too, and the feeling would probably only increase with time, but -- Haru had her Mako-chan, to weather the sudden loneliness in her heart. And the other Phantom Thieves, who all probably felt similar.

Ren? Ren had them, of course, but the people Ren had been closest to, those had been Morgana and Arsene, and to Arsene especially in a way neither of the other persona users could ever wish to replace. She shared a glance with Yusuke, who nodded.)

"Come here, Ren," Haru said, and then Ren was dragged into a hug, his breath hitching.

"We are here for you," Yusuke said, and Ren laughed, wrecked.

Their evening was spent in somber silence.

_If only they knew,_ Ren thought, expecting a quip and not getting any.

He was gone the next day before anyone else noticed, and by the time the whole team arrived for their previously-planned post-heist meeting, Makoto was furiously scowling down at her coffee and Futaba was crying, not that Ren was there to see it.

("At least he's not completely lonely with the big guy there, right?" Sojiro asked the other teenagers, which promptly led to Futaba crying even _more._

"They're gone." Takamaki said. "It was the price we had to pay.")

Ren placidly followed after Sae, his posture still confident and self-assured, and he did not let the officers put words into his mouth that he didn't do, unlike the first time. After all, all of this had started with being sent to juvie, and all of this was ending with being sent to juvie -- how fitting.

Hearing that Shido would be prosecuted was only icing on the cake.

* * *

Ren got to spend all of two months in juvenile hall, where he got to pick up the pieces that were left of him, never letting go of his resolve. It wasn't too bad, all things considered -- certainly better than his first stint before he'd been sent to parole, and on one very memorable occasion on an otherwise very dull Thursday the hall was visited by an amateur magician who put on a show for them before disappearing before the guards even noticed.

("It just happens," one of the other teens said, holding a white rose in hand. Another had a boquet, like Ren himself. "We've stopped questioning it; every year on the same day, like clockwork. Apparently he's been appearing for six years now, and the guards never once caught wind of it or believe us."

"They think we pluck the flowers from the garden, like heathens!"

"Some of the more romantic guys think that he's the KID." Another said. "Can you believe it? _As if._ KID isn't even in the country right now! _"_

Ren had glanced down at his own plants, made up of each a single bellflower (or so one of the others said), a carnation, a wisteria, and a xeranthemum -- all very European flowers. Something like foreboding urged Ren to press those and to keep them, if for nothing else than as a reminder of that very entertaining day.

He would then promptly forget about the flowers until one bored afternoon in his hometown, which would prompt him to research their meaning, which would leave him staring at his laptop screen for a good minute or twenty. But that was for later.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Sojiro and Sae very, very much


	4. with a loving glance or tender kiss, you make my cares disappear

Ren's sleep, which no-one could describe as 'restful' even before all of this, had been getting worse by the day without the familiar presence of Arsene at his side, and Ren missed his persona fiercely, and he missed their quiet evenings when he would preen Arsene's wings and the persona would thrum under his fingers, a happy and relaxed sound, and his face would be a warm glow of embers.

Ren missed their nonsensical discussions, and he missed Morgana's annoyed quips, and he missed the way Arsene's claws would card through his hair or how his palm would usually rest against Ren's nape when invisible, a chokehold on his neck that was so comforting.

Ren simply… _missed_ Arsene. Missed him like something broken that couldn't be fixed.

Sometime during the first month in juvie, he'd gotten hold of one of the _Arsène Lupin_ novels, sadly in Japanese, and proceeded to re-read it again, much to the confusion of his annoying roommate. It brought back memories from the first time Ren's given Arsene the books to read, shortly after the whole Kamoshida debacle had been finished. Ren had asked him, all very excited, if what was written in the books was accurate, and Arsene had dimmed while he'd been reading his second novel. _I would not truly know,_ he had said, _for I am not... truly him._

Ren had been confused then, because all of the persona were real people, too. Arsene had often talked about his exploits as a gentlemanly thief, after all.

The explanation that followed had been kind of confusing, but it boiled down to: Arsène Lupin was a literary character modeled after a real person, but a literary character nonetheless. Arsene the persona was the literary figure, but he was the literary figure how most people remembered him by; a gentleman thief from France who was a master at what he did, who sometimes had a rivalry with Sherlock Holmes. _I feel as if I have lived through the adventures, but I know that I am not he. If thou were to ask Carmen, she would tell thee the same, I'd reckon. Unlike Kidd, who has been a real sailor amongst men, and thus he has real memories, only --distorted. I cannot explain it better, little thief._

Ren, after having wrapped his mind around that weird concept, had simply shrugged. "...if it feels real to you, then it has to be, on some level, no? And if you think those memories are fake, then simply make new ones together."

In hindsight, that was an incredibly sappy thing to say, and wow, Ren really had been gone from the beginning. Ryuji hadn't been kidding in Hawaii.

Ryuji, ugh. He also missed his friends. He missed _everyone,_ and wallowing about it at -- Ren turned to the digital clock -- two-thirty in the morning was not productive. He turned around in his (too empty, not the right temperature) bed and curled in on himself to quieten the sorrow he was feeling, and forced himself to sleep.

He opened his eyes almost as soon as he closed them, it felt like, and saw _blue._

Ren jumped up, all sleep forgotten, and came face-to-face with the Velvet Room's blue decor, different from the last time that he's seen it.

"Welcome back, Trickster." Igor's high-pitched voice greeted him, so unlike the Grail's had been. "It is good to see you once more."

Ren felt something bubbly work its way up his throat. He had so many questions, but first--

he bowed, at a perfect 45° angle, and chocked back the manic grin that was about to spread across his face at Lavenza's polite-yet-baffled expression. "Thank you for having me back."

Igor laughed. "My, how polite you are now. And confused, too, I see."

Ren remained silent and glanced around in hopes of seeing a familiar persona, nudged the still empty space in his mind in askance. Igor continued with a too knowing smile as he fanned his fingers together.

"We wish to offer you the services of the Velvet Room once more, Trickster."

Lavenza nodded. "The interference of Yaldabaoth has forced us to close the door and withdraw your contract while Master Igor sorted everything out; now that the Grail's essence has been purged from the Velvet Room, you may use its services to your leisure, even if your story has ended."

"Yes. I am afraid that our services have been quite sub-par until now, and I wish to remedy that." Igor held up a card. The side facing Ren looked disturbingly like the Metaverse Navigator app that had been on all of the Thieves' phones. Ren wasn't interested in that, though.

"So our persona will come back?"

The Master of the Velvet Room raised a too-knowing eyebrow. "If the same fire of rebellion still burns in you, and if you still feel your bonds, then yes, your persona will come back, Trickster. You simply have to re-install the application once you are reunited with your fellow holders, and your contract to this place will be restored."

Ren nodded, and opened his mouth--

"Your Magician will be back as well, yes. And I have an additional service for you. Consider it a present, if you will." Igor flipped the card, a symbol similar to the Metanav app on it. "This opens the navigator to a palace not dissimilar to my Velvet Room in function. My impostor should have given it to you to aid in your story, but now you shall receive it as a reward instead. And now it is time for you to wake up, Trickster."

* * *

"You're being pardoned," one guard said the day after, sourly. "Niishima-san will be along shortly to explain the details to you."

Makoto's sister was indeed, and she did, telling Ren how his friends and confidantes did everything that they could to get him out; and while Ren suspected something like that would happen after the visit to the Velvet Room, he still was overjoyed. It seemed that his mood was infecting, because Sae also cracked a grin.

And then he was released the day after, and Ren packed his meagre belongings, his novel hiding the pressed flowers and the card he'd woken up with, that somehow had followed him from the Velvet Room, and he stepped out a free man without a single stain to his record, and Sojiro was there, waiting with a fond scoff for him. "You're late," he said, and then proceeded to open the passenger door for Ren and hand him his phone and a cup of coffee.

"Thanks, Boss."

Sojiro's lips quirked upward. "The others missed you a real lot, kid. Went as far as to track down the woman that Shido assaulted with the help of your reporter friend, so that she could testify against him."

A second of silence, and then: "I missed you too, I guess."

Ren hid a smirk behind a sip, the warmth of the coffee fogging up his glasses. He could take them off, but he's grown used to them. Instead, he powered up his phone, a barrage of unread messages making it vibrate like crazy -- he thanked all of his confidantes for their help but ignored the messages from the Thieves' group chat, considering he would be seeing them in a few minutes. The rest of the ride passed in companionable silence until they got stuck in traffic, and then Sojiro cursed up a storm about going to be late.

And then they were in front of Leblanc.

Ren walked inside to the joyous laughter of his friends, and Sojiro went to buy groceries.

Futaba hugged him and didn't let go, and Ryuji punched him in the shoulder, and Haru hugged both Futaba _and_ Ren, and then he was sitting on one of the bar stools while Makoto brought up the missing Morgana, and Ren was about to tell them that, _no, our not-cat is actually still alive, thanks to Igor -- the person that the Grail had been impersonating, you know, when all of us were thrown into jail cells and also our persona are one vaguely sinister contract away,_ when the bell above the door of the café chimed and Morgana strolled in, all faux nonchalance.

The room erupted into renewed chaos.

Yusuke turned to Ren. "You did not seem surprised that Morgana was still alive despite what happened back in December."

"Ah, yeah--" Ren begun, and everyone turned to him. "Just before I was pardoned I had a dream about the Velvet Room again, and Igor told me that Mona was still alive."

"No way, dude! And you trust him?"

"I have to agree with Ryuji on that one, Ren."

Ren nodded in acknowledgement at Ann, before continuing. "He seemed remorseful enough, and he offered me continued patronage of the Velvet Room and all of its facilities as compensation for what happened."

He let it sink in, that sliver of hope, and it was Morgana that asked, "wait. Does that mean--"

With a flourish belonging straight to Joker, Ren pulled out the card he'd been given, the Metanav symbol glaring at them. Haru's breath hitched.

"Oh. What- what do we have to do?"

What indeed. "Hold out your phones? In a circle." They did, and Ren glanced back at the card and held it above them, waited for a breath and -- when nothing happened; how did one go about installing an app that leads to a metacognitive dimension anyways? -- very ceremonially said, "I accept the continued services of the Velvet Room and everything that it entails. And want to re-establish our contract."

The card glowed, briefly, so bright that it hurt to look at, and then disappeared into motes of light, and all of their phone screens lit up, one after another, the newly-installed Metaverse Navigator app blinking into existence. Morgana's fur had bristled up at it, but that really was only second to the much more pressing manner of--

_Arsene?_

Silence, at first. And then: _I did tell thee that we would meet again, did I not? Well met, my little thief._

Ren chocked back a surprised sob, the others not doing much better. _I missed you._

Arsene's emotions curled around Ren's insides like heavy smoke, seeping into his bones as if they belonged there. He thrummed, _affection-love-missyoutoo,_ before continuing, oddly pensive. _Thou know what must be done, first: I am thou, and thou art I._

Ren repeated the words, and it felt as if something clicked into place, as if a fog that he had been wandering through had finally cleared.

Somewhere to his left, Ann laughed, relieved and free, and then reality tilted to the left and the persona were all there in the room with them, having materialized, and it didn't matter that the previously-spacious room inside Leblanc was reduced to elbows in the ribs and shoves to the side, because Arsene was nuzzling into Ren's neck like a particularly affectionate cat, his mask digging into his collarbone, and he was thrumming at Ren about everything good in the world and burning like a furnace.

The doorbell chimed. "I hope you kids don't mind that I've invited Niijima-san and Kawakami-san over, funny how we've run into each-- uh."

"Well, this sucks," Morgana meowed, perched on Zorro's shoulder. Zorro flicked him in the forehead. _"Language, Mona."_

The persona froze, unsure how to act, now that there were more people entering the café, and all three adults let the door fall closed with a thud, the teacher leaning heavily against it in shock. Arsene, the extra idiot that he was, merely disentangled himself from Ren enough to dip his head in greeting. _"It is good to see you again, Hierophant."_ He turned to the two women. _"Judgement. Well met, Temperance."_

Ren tried valiantly not to snort at the blasé attitude.

He was failing miserably.

(Sojiro sighed and glared at Futaba, conveniently ignoring the dying noises that Kawakami-san was emitting. His look was the very definition of 'parental exhaustion'. "Futaba, didn't you say they were gone?"

"Um," Futaba said, cradled in -- Necronomicon, was it? -- Necronomicon's tentacles. Sojiro tried to ignore it for his sanity. "Everyone's back?"

Necronomicon beeped in agreement, whizzing noises that made no sense but seemed to be universally understood by the Phantom Thieves. Sojiro sighed, put-upon, and glanced down at his bag of groceries. Glanced back to the one bag Niijima had managed to wrestle from him, and then to the group of persona. One of them was a-- motorbike. Most looked human enough, though the one with a hand on Okumura-chan's shoulder seemed to have no face whatsoever, as she was only holding a fancy mask to her face.

Sojiro was happy for his kids and their friends, really, but couldn't the persona have waited to reappear later?

"...I don't have enough groceries to cook for everyone."

Kawakami-san chocked on another noise, and Sojiro had the feeling that she was close to a panic attack. Niijima was a silent spectator, though she had nodded a greeting at the motorbike -- Johanna, was it? -- before doing damage control with the teacher.

The persona next to Takamaki grinned at him. _"There is no need for that, Boss. We shan't bother you, except for a coffee for our residential gentleman thief."_

Arsene seemed to roll his eyes, but Sojiro's hospitality belatedly kicked in. "I'm sure I can come up with something for everyone, though."

_"Thanks for th' offer, lad, but we ain't so hot about staying materialized for so long. It is much appreciated, though."_ That was Sakamoto's persona, the pirate one, and it disappeared to the sound of whirring electricity, and the lights seemed suddenly, strangely, brighter. The other persona followed it, everyone disappearing from view with their own little effect, until only Arsene and Okumura-chan's persona remained, the latter squeezing her human to her side before letting go of her and turning towards Arsene.

_"Do stay around, darling, you know we don't mind it. Have fun! Tell us about the taste of the coffee later."_

And then she was gone, too. Arsene, somehow, seemed much more perkier, and Sojiro felt a weird and detached sort of acceptance that he noticed that the persona had been anxious before, with his drooped wings and all. It only showed that the weirdness that seemed to follow the Phantom Thieves around was finally rubbing off on him. He spared the teasing group of teens one last glance -- Takamaki and Sakamoto were ribbing both Ren and Arsene about the latter's unorthodox behavior in a good-natured way, and Sojiro was glad to see his kid smile again -- before he turned his attention back to the two women who had entered with him.

"...I'm going to prepare the food. Uh, Kawakami-san, would you like to help in the kitchen?"

She blinked at him. "I-" Swallowed. "No. I'm alright. Though, an explanation would be… useful."

Sojiro nodded. "Right."

He turned around. "Ren! Why don't you make drinks for everyone while I prepare the food. Who of you wants to help?")

Ren blinked, caught off-guard, but nodded. Haru, Makoto, her sister and Ann went to help Sojiro, and Kawakami-sensei carefully inched onto the barstool furthest away from Arsene, whose amusement was warming Ren up from the inside. Everyone else migrated to the free seats, and Morgana glanced at the teacher with a worried expression before he decided to amble over to her and meowed at her, quietly.

She begun to pet him, on autopilot, and then she hugged him to herself and Ren though that he really should explain everything to her, because she was looking kind of shell-shocked.

But first. "Yusuke, Futaba, Ryuji, do you want coffee as well?"

"Nah, man, not today."

"With cream and sugar, yeah."

"...as black as our hopes had been, on Christmas."

Ren paused with rinsing the cups. Even Kawakami-sensei stopped with her petting to glance at Yusuke with a worried frown. "Is everything alright, Kitagawa-san?"

Yusuke nodded. "Merely an art block that has been keeping me up at night. I have not slept for two days because I have a deadline and no inspiration has struck me yet."

"The fuck, Inari?"

"For real?!"

"Language, Futaba," Ren said, before frowning. "Yusuke-"

"Yes. I will go to sleep today. I promise."

"Good. Kawakami-sensei, what kind of coffee would you like?"

The teacher made a face and resumed petting Morgana. "Anything not too bitter, I guess."

Ren nodded. Arsene hummed. _"What, thou do not ask me, but everyone else?"_

A raised eyebrow. "You always drink it the same way."

_"Yes. Thou see, it was recommended to myself by quite the charming fellow, who said it was his favorite kind, and I simply had to try it."_

Ren flushed at Arsene's smug expression. "You incorrigible flirt. See if I'll make it differently."

_Thou would not,_ Arsene thought. A fond sigh escaped Ren. He wouldn't, not really. Kawakami-sensei glanced between them, confusion clearly written across her face. "Am... am I missing something?"

Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, sensei, it all started way back in April with Kamoshida…"

* * *

The next day was Valentine's Day, and Ren had fully planned on spending the whole day up in his room in the attic with Arsene, catching up on those lost two months, but it seemed that fate had other plans for him.

Sadly, Ren did not notice those until it was too late.

See, here's the deal: Arsene had woken Ren up by first sneezing (literal sparks of ember landed on his neck, because lately the demonic persona was fond of nuzzling into the skin there) and then moving away from Ren (taking with him the human's comfortable and cozy blanket of fluffy feathers), and thus, faced with the cold, Ren did what anyone might do in his situation.

He whined and turned blindly in the bed until he found some part of Arsene and then tried to burrow into the persona's arm, ignoring the noise to his right.

_Good morning, mon petit voleur,_ the bastard said, all chipper. _I take it that thee slept well?_

Ren cracked an eye open to find himself pinned underneath Arsene, a leery grin spreading across his mask, lighting the whole thing up with white-hot fire. Ren returned it, much softer and still very sleepy and maybe a bit grumpy. _Until I was woken up so rudely, yes._

_Alas,_ Arsene hummed, wings fanning open, _then I must remedy that immédiatement, non?_

_Hm. I might be persuaded with a kiss,_ Ren said, and reached for Arsene's horns to pull the persona down, the latter's amusement and satisfaction curling deep in Ren's bones.

The burn was a welcome feeling, the persona's heat spreading to his horns and making Ren press them closer together to relish it, clawed hands gripping at his waist to help in the endeavor as if they were not already One, as if there was a closeness beyond the one they shared that could still be achieved.

If there was, Ren was all for finding it.

There was another sound to Ren's left, louder this time, and he was annoyed by it -- but then someone said _"oh, fuck me,"_ with feeling, and another voice wailed " _I tried to warn you!",_ and Ren and Arsene unceremoniously jerked apart as if burned.

(Well. Ren's lips certainly still felt the sting of fire.)

Sojiro, looking equally as embarrassed as Ren felt, stood halfway on the steps, one hand massaging his temples, Morgana circling around his feet.

Arsene, having faced and defeated a literal god not too long ago, did the utmost heroical thing of dematerializing without so much as a blink, leaving Ren to fend for himself. Ren, also having faced and defeated said god, could not fault him for it.

"Boss-"

_"No."_

Ren's heart did a not-funny leap. Arsene thrummed at him. Sojiro, not privy to his internal conflict, continued undeterred. "No, I am not having that discussion with you half-naked in your bed, kid. Here I was thinking 'well, he woke up before ten on a free day, I might as well call him down for a family breakfast.' And then you were still upstairs, and your cat looked kind of disgruntled, so I thought 'maybe I could get him', because it wouldn't be the first time you fell asleep again."

Sojiro sighed. "Now I see why Morgana was so agitated. Somehow, I'm finding myself being less surprised than I'd thought I would be. Get changed and come down, Ren, Futaba will arrive any minute." He turned around to walk down again, but stopped when his head was barely visible. "And tell Arsene that I'm expecting him to be present! It's only common manners."

Morgana, sitting on the topmost step of the staircase, looked flatly at Ren. "I tried to warn him, but this one's on you."

And then he disappeared downstairs as well.

Ren, kind of shell-shocked and kind of unsure where this would end up going, did just that. Arsene materialized before they started heading downstairs, his wings winched in and a sheepish expression lighting up his mask, soothing thrums calming Ren's heart. And then he stepped downstairs, Arsene behind him like the comforting shadow that he is, and Ren felt vaguely like that one time he'd snuck back home from a party he wasn't supposed to attend and was caught red-handed.

(It hadn't ended well for him, and he could still hear Akira's laughter ring in his ear.)

Futaba was grinning at him with the most shit-eating grin she could muster, sipping at her hot chocolate like the cat that had gotten the canary. Ren did his best impression of a deadpan while he greeted her and glanced at Sojiro, unsure how to proceed. The man snorted and handed both Ren and Arsene a cup of coffee and went to get them their food -- not, as Ren always notes with some mirth, curry, but some rice, fish and omelet. He sits down next to the still-grinning Futaba and does his best to appear indifferent and has to snort as Sojiro brings over a much smaller plate with fish for Morgana, who perks up and joins them at the table. Ren raises his eyebrows at it, but immediately regrets it when Sojiro talks to him.

"What? This is compensation for me not understanding what he wanted and dragging him upstairs. I can only imagine that it wasn't the first time if the first thing Morgana did upon waking up is coming straight down when he usually wakes you up."

Futaba laughs at his misery. "This is gold, oh hell, I can't wait to tell Inari and Ann! Ren, your face!"

He flicks a piece of rice at her, like the responsible young adult that he's supposed to be. Arsene tries to very innocently and gentlemanly sip at his coffee, which is really not working because Ren can feel his emotions and he also sees the deep red sparks sporadically emitting from his mask that travel up to the tips of his horns, which means that he's practically blushing as furiously as Ren is.

And then he proceeds to carefully tug a plate over to himself and claw at the fish there to put it on Ren's plate, who grumbles but doesn't push it away. It's always funny to watch the persona use his claws like some handy built-in chopsticks, because knowing how incredibly lethal they are and seeing how incredibly careful Arsene is when handling things such as steamed fish always makes Ren experience _emotions._

Sojiro raises one eyebrow at the display. "So this _has_ been going on for some time now?"

Futaba, the traitor, shrugs. "They were always like that ever since I joined." Then she blinks, and turns to Morgana. "Mona, did Ren and Arsene always behave this lovey-dovey?"

The not-cat meowed something Sojiro wouldn't be able to understand, but he waited patiently until Morgana finished and Futaba nodded, transfixed, while Ren ate his fish and tried valiantly to be Not A Part Of This Discussion. "Pretty much since the beginning, yeah. Ryuji's called it the 'Arsene-and-Joker-telenovela' on more than one occasion. He religiously watches them with his mother. No-one was surprised when they got together."

Futaba translated it dutifully, and then added, "Ryuji's not wrong about it."

Ren was ready to sink into the ground. Sojiro tried to valiantly withhold a grin. "I see." He failed. "Aren't you like, the same person or something, though?"

_"I am the rebellion that resides in Ren's heart, yes,"_ Arsene agreed, adding another piece of fish onto Ren's plate absentmindedly. Ren made a face -- he really wasn't that big of a fan of steamed fish, Arsene knew that! -- but ate it dutifully. _"We art the same, in that regards, but a persona is also a representation of the mythological archetypes that dwell within a human's heart."_ He frowned, fire dimming down to a low flame, and even Ren stopped eating to listen to it in interest; this was news to him. _"It is a truth every persona knows. I truly cannot say any more about these matters, and to be quite honest, I am as uneducated in them as ye, as the Master of the Velvet Room is the one that holds this knowledge._ _We art quite autonomous though, and you will find persona and user disagreeing over matters as much as agreeing over them._ _I think,"_ here, Arsene pauses, and glances over Morgana's head at where Zorro would be, approximately, his gaze strangely heavy and far away. _"I think that having as much autonomy and sense of self as our group has is unusual, though. Igor has yet to comment on it, but I could sense Yaldabaoth's dissatisfaction whenever my thief was in the Velvet Room."_

Arsene glances down at his hands, then, and flexes his claws with the same heavy emotion running through Ren as the one that had prompted Arsene to echo the thought of _If I were human, then--_ , and neither Sojiro nor Futaba or Morgana knew what to say to the silent proclamation, and so Ren let himself fall against Arsene's side and thought _comfort_ and _home_ and _love_ emotions at the solemn persona.

Arsene thrummed back at Ren, low and dissatisfied but still thankful.

"Well," Sojiro said, out of his depth. "This probably would be the part where I warn you to not break my kid's heart, but. Ren--" Ren flushed at being referred to as Sojiro's kid so casually, "-- you keep this one, do you hear me?"

Ren flushed even more.

(Later, Sojiro texted this new revelation to the Phantom-Thief-Support-Groupchat. Ohya was the one who created it and added most of them in the two months that Ren had been in juvie, and it consisted of all of the adults that Ren had befriended as confidantes, and Ohya's friend Lala Escargot. Sojiro was still unsure if the chat was to offer support to the Phantom Thieves or if it was offering _them_ support for the Phantom Thieves' antics, and at this point, he was too afraid to ask.

And, well, it would be better to say that he texted the group chat with a single, nonindicative ** _ >:) _**and let it explode as Ohya texted a string of enraged question marks until the bar owner made her stop.

Miss Fortune Teller texted back an equally cryptic ** _ <3 <3,_** probably having foreseen the whole thing or something. Sojiro was certain that she knew about the persona, but he wasn't about to rat his kids out if not everyone in the chat knew about them.

You'd think, after what happened on Christmas, everyone would remember, but even Sojiro's memory was very fuzzy about that day; he knew the thieves did something downright impossible, and that there was a deity or something involved, and that it might have rained blood at some point, but it felt like a very bad nightmare by now.

then, Sojiro switched chats.

> **Persona-support-chat**
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> What _does that mean, Sakura?_
> 
> _**Sojiro:** _
> 
> _I take it you weathered that the persona are back, yeah?_
> 
> **_Sojiro:_ **
> 
> _That reminds me, Kawakami-san, how're you holding up?_
> 
> **_Kawakami Sadayo:_ **
> 
> _after taking the rest of yesterday and today to do some soul-searching_
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _I have accepted the fact that my students have been facing incredibly dangerous, life-or-death situations, in a subliminal universe adjacent to our own_
> 
> **_Kawakami Sadayo:_ **
> 
> _only with the support of monster-like personifications of their deepest desires or something_
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _and I am glad that I could help them even a bit in their quest for justice, but_
> 
> _**Sojiro:** _
> 
> _…_
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _Does that mean that they have been cheating on their coursework? Isn't it unfair to the other students?_
> 
> **_Niijima Sae:_ **
> 
> _That was something that I have been wondering myself, actually._ _
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> _How knowledgeable are the persona of real-life situations?_
> 
> _**Sojiro:** _
> 
> _Well, I can tell you now that Arsene certainly has opinions about his preferred coffee and reading materiales_
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _You two are really blasé about all of this._
> 
> **_Sojiro:_ **
> 
> _to be fair, we've had to deal with this since the beginning of December._
> 
> _ANYWAYS_
> 
> _to get back to Niijima's previous question._
> 
> _guess who just found out that his son is in a relationship with the personification of his rebellious heart?_
> 
> _in the most embarrassing way possible._
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> _wait_
> 
> **_Sojiro:_ **
> 
> _no, really. I feel like I've finally passed one of the milestones of being a parent_
> 
> **_Niijima Sae:_ **
> 
> _Amamiya-kun is together with his persona?_
> 
> _**Sojiro:** _
> 
> _exactly. Since a while, apparently._
> 
> **_Kawakami Sadayo:_ **
> 
> _what_
> 
> **_Sojiro:_ **
> 
> _since before Futaba joined, at least._
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> _…this puts some remarks from my sister in a new perspective._
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _and this is ...okay?_
> 
> _**Sojiro:** _
> 
> _well, I'm certainly not going to say anything against it. As far as lovers go, a gentleman phantom thief_
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _is Arsene actually Lupin, then? I thought persona were a part of the personality?_
> 
> _**Sojiro:** _
> 
> _is not that bad._
> 
> **_Niijima Sae:_ **
> 
> _Yes and no? Makoto never really explained it._
> 
> **_Sojiro:_ **
> 
> _something about humanities' love for fictional tales being carried in every person_
> 
> _we've had a talk about it this morning. It was not a smart idea, trust me_
> 
> _in short, Arsene is a representation of the way the world sees Lupin AND shares part of Ren's personality_
> 
> _or something._
> 
> **_Niijima Sae:_ **
> 
> _This sounds quite fascinating._
> 
> **_Kawakami Sadayo:_ **
> 
> _Huh. I mean, I still worry, but as far as lovers go, having someone like KID is not too bad, I guess._
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _I'm still a little hung up on the whole 'demonic looking person with claws and all'_
> 
> **_Kawakami Sadayo:_ **
> 
> _but Arsene had seemed perfectly gentlemanly._
> 
> **_Sojiro:_ **
> 
> _I'm pretty certain that the kid is into that, which is really not something I ever want to think about again._
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> _...do we want to know?_
> 
> **_Sojiro:_ **
> 
> _No._
> 
> **_Kawakami Sadayo:_ **
> 
> _Fair enough._
> 
> **_Niijima Sae:_ **
> 
> _That reminds me. Kawakami-san, you are a KID fan?_
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _...yes. Going to his heists was always a guilty pleasure of mine._
> 
> **_Sojiro:_ **
> 
> _They're fun, aren't they? Even if I find them too over-the-top a lot of the times._
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _more like a great stress relief._
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> _...no wonder you were so supportive of the Phantom Thieves' activity._
> 
> **_Niijima Sae:_ **
> 
> _No wait, that was not why I asked._
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> _I heard from my coworker that KID is back in Japan._
> 
> **_Kawakami Sadayo:_ **
> 
> _Really? And this information can be trusted?_
> 
> _**Sojiro:** _
> 
> _how do you even get information like this anyways?_
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> _I work under Kisaki Lawyers as a contracted defense attorney together with Mouri-san, who is Kisaki-san's daughter._
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> _Mouri-san has quite the handful of acquaintances within Division One and Two with whom she goes to Sunday lunches with. The officers have confirmed that KID is back in the country._
> 
> _**Niijima Sae:** _
> 
> _As has Mouri-san's little brother, strangely enough, and she seemed to put more belief in that._
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _…_
> 
> _**Kawakami Sadayo:** _
> 
> _does that mean that we will have heists again?_
> 
> **_Sojiro:_ **
> 
> _Mouri as in_ 'Nemuri no Kogorō?' _The famous detective who solved cases in his sleep a few years ago?_
> 
> _**Nijima Sae:** _
> 
> _That one, yes. He sometimes visits the office with flowers for Kisaki-san. There is no more sleeping sleuthing, though, from what I've heard._

Sojiro blinked down at the screen and sincerely hoped that KID would only start holding heists when Ren was gone from Tokyo, because the Phantom Thieves' leader would probably try to take it as a challenge or something. And while it might be hilarious to see Kaitou KID go up against Joker, Sojiro didn't actually know if the former's no-harm policy would hold up against other thieves interfering in his magic shows. Who knows what going international could do to someone?

But also: the kid would be gone in a month. _A month._ )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how does one format texting anyways? This thing is just steadily growing, and I have no idea how it will end at this point, haha!


	5. I want you besides me, for the rest of this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter count went up because I can't seem to stop myself. I wish more people would write for this ship, so that I could indulge, but alas! This and the next chapter aren't as shippy because the plot decided to interrupt, even if by plot I mean 'my favorite tropes and tags, in that order'... still, I hope you'll like it!
> 
> I wish you all an early merry christmas!

It was several days later when Ren remembered the other feature that Igor had talked about, that had been printed onto the card. _Do you know what this is?_ He'd asked Arsene, who hummed, thoughtful. _I do not, mon petit voleur._

Well, it had been worth a shot.

"Hey, Mona. Do _you_ know what this is?"

Morgana groaned but dutifully ambled over to Ren, the others not yet having arrived. They had planned on venturing into Mementos that day, to see how different it was now, without a Holy Grail to corrupt it. The cat glanced at the app, perched on Ren's shoulder.

"Okay, first off: don't involve me in your one-sided discussions without giving background info. Second: I have no clue -- wait, is it part of the Metanav?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah, Igor said that it opens to a palace similar to the Velvet Room, but I have no clue what that means. I completely forgot about it."

"Well," Morgana started. "If it was given to you by Igor, then it should be all right to use, I guess?"

"I guess we'll see when the others arrive."

And see they did: It was, indeed, not dissimilar to a palace _or_ the Velvet Room. A building of some sort, located at the boundaries of the Metaverse like the Velvet Room and only accessible through the app like the palaces. It was currently empty, but there was a vending machine next to a central display and a wall covered with televisions and a lounge space and a second story where they'd all appeared when being shifted over. There was computer and music equipment in one corner and a wall with empty, fancy picture frames in another, an achievement wall and something that looked weirdly like a control panel from an old western sci-fi show near a corridor that, upon further investigating, led to a row of bedrooms, one for each of them.

The walls in that corridor were blank, with the exception of a single poster depicting their calling card.

The whole place reminded Ren of a cross between an art gallery, the Velvet Room and a bar, actually.

Everyone was certainly in awe.

After thoroughly examining all of the available rooms and spaces and the vending machine, which seemed to be inactive at the moment, Ren walked over to the control panel and pressed down on the center. The whole panel lit up and then rippled, and a spherical orb became accessible; it reminded Ren of those little balls that were stuck on the underside of computer mice to move the mouse around.

So he tapped at it.

_> Welcome,< _a voice echoed, _> to Your Palace.<_

* * *

_Your Palace_ , otherwise affectionately titled the _Thieves' Den_ by Ryuji and Haru, turned out to be exactly what the latter name indicated: a headquarters for phantom thieving that all thieves could access at any given time from any given location in Tokyo -- they tried it out by moving to different parts of their district, and it always worked, as they ended up materializing on the second story in a little spot that was marked with their masks, for bonus points. The place was their very own batcave, and they could decorate it to their hearts' contents, cognitive prizes and mementos _(ha!)_ from all of their palace adventures being stored in the vending machine and waiting to be put on display (for some weird reason). Even all of the usually random palace background music that made Ren feel like some sort of video game character could be freely selected to be played in the hideout, which was really, really neat.

And probably the greatest thing about the place, other than the fully-functioning cognitive Crossroads Bar, was that the persona liked to stay materialized whenever the thieves were around, considering the place was still a part of the Metaverse. Now only time would tell if Ren would be able to access this place from all the way across in Inaba once he'd made it back home, in a week. But for now…

everybody was holding up a frizzy drink and gathered around a table. "Cheers to us for finishing the renovations!"

_"Kampai-!"_

* * *

* * *

"And you two look after each other, you got it? Morgana, you guys make sure they don't get into any trouble."

Ren and Arsene and Morgana and Zorro (because apparently the persona were expected to _actually say good-bye in person,_ as far as Sojiro was concerned) stood at the entrance to Leblanc, and Ren tried valiantly to not cry as Sojiro saw them off. Morgana and Zorro nodded at the admonishment, Morgana meowing in loud agreement.

"And I expect all of you back by Golden Week, and any other vacation, got it?"

Ren nodded.

Sojiro sighed. "Good. And now off you go, the others are waiting." He paused, as if unsure about something, before muttering _ah screw it_ under his breath and hugged Ren, hard, before disappearing back into Leblanc's kitchen. Ren smiled a wry smile before making his way to the train station, Futaba having come by earlier to steal away all but his school bag where Morgana was resting.

Arsene flickered along through reflections in windows and puddles, and soon, Ren was in front of the train station where this whole adventure had really started. He'd already said farewell to his other confidantes yesterday, and wished Ohya and Sae and the others good luck in their endeavors, and apologized to Kawakami-sensei for all of the stress he'd caused her in this last month with the truth.

He glanced around, searching for his friends, and was about to pull out his phone to call them when someone shouted his name. Ren turned around to find Ann waving at him, and he grinned and waved back, hoisted his bag and Morgana onto his shoulder again, and broke off into a run towards them. They'd managed to acquire a van from somewhere, and everyone piled into it after Morgana fixed something in the engine by hijacking a police car, and then they were off and driving towards Inaba, Makoto at the helm with the very sound argument that while Ren _could_ drive,

a) it was his good-bye party

b) he did not have a drivers license (yet).

He glanced out of the window, Arsene staring back at him with Ren's face. _We shall be back next year._ The persona said it with such conviction, who was Ren to deny the words? _Yeah._

And then they almost crashed into the car in front of them because it randomly braked and _Makoto_ cursed up a storm as she drove around it and the serene moment was broken by cackling laughter from Futaba.

* * *

They arrived in Inaba early evening, after one last day full of sight-seeing along the way, and Ren was hit with a strange nostalgia as they drove through the town.

"It's very quaint," Yusuke said, and Ren hummed in agreement.

"It's very boring; the most interesting thing here is the Junes."

Ryuji blinked. "Isn't that like, a supermarket chain?"

"Junes owns _everything_ in this town, trust me. At least as far as entertainment goes."

Silence, until Morgana groaned. "Are you kidding me? What can we do in this town, then?"

Makoto was currently in the process of parking the car into Ren's parents' driveway, still as narrow as ever, while Ren mulled Morgana's question over. "Hm. Go to school. Visit the shopping district. Visit Junes in particular. Go for a walk in nature, go to Junes. You can stargaze pretty well, actually, and when you're a preteen there's the local graveyard to hang out at night. And Junes." He blinked. "Oh. We have a mascot."

Haru carefully, carefully asked: "...at Junes?"

Ren beamed at her, slightly manic. "Exactly!"

"How didn't you go stir crazy?"

"Eh," Ren said. "I kept busy." Then, he glanced at the house -- his family's home, so it should really be also his house, even if it didn't feel like it -- and braced himself.

_Thou know, my little thief, thee have never spoken about thy relatives during the whole year thou hast been away._ Arsene was worried and confused, the emotions heavy and adding to Ren's guilt at the truth of them. All of them piled out of the car, and the thieves were already saying their last good-byes and well wishes, piling Ren with gifts and presents, when the door opened and Akira stepped out, looking exactly as Ren remembered him: an almost mirror image of Ren, his eyes only a shade murkier and his hair spikier; sans the fake-glasses Ren had grown so accustomed to wearing that he still hadn't taken them down. He was leaning against the doorframe.

"You're back later than mom expected you to be."

This was the moment Ren regretted not warning the rest of the Phantom Thieves (currently more-or-less disbanded though no-one believed that it would last longer than the year that Ren was gone). Ryuji, an undoubtedly scathing remark ready to leave his lips at the not-help Akira was giving, changed course last minute to blurt out, "what the fuck--"

"--does he look so much like you?" This, Ren surmised, was why Haru was his favorite thief: she saved the situation, however inelegantly. Ren tried to affect a nonchalance he didn't actually feel to reply.

"I told you guys that Akira is my _twin_ brother, so obviously we'd look the same."

"Yeah, but this much? It's scary."

"Ah, but there are aesthetic differences. In the hair, for one, or--"

_"Not_. Helping. Inari."

Ren's lips tugged upwards at that, and then he exchanged one more hug with them each, and Makoto drove off, however reluctantly. Ren watched them go until the headlights disappeared from view and then turned towards Akira, who had not moved an inch from where he'd positioned himself.

"You're still wearing those fake glasses?" His brother asked, finally leaning down and taking one of the suitcases. "Mom is sleeping already and dad is off to work, by the way, considering you're what, six hours late?

Ren rolled his eyes, a stiffness settling over his form that had Arsene thrum possessiveness at him and that had Morgana huddle deeper into his bag. "And you're still part of your biker gang and wearing that tacky leather jacket?"

(Ren _knew_ leather, okay? He had developed an appreciation for the material during his time as Joker. Makoto and Yusuke owned a pair of great leather jackets in the real world, and most of their phantom thieving outfits had leather worked into them somehow; Ren absolutely _loved_ his red gloves. Akira's jacket? It was very tacky and not cut correctly.)

Akira flashed him a grin and a peace sign, and not for the first time, Ren wondered how his parents could believe that _Ren_ would have committed assault when his twin was the one constantly getting into trouble. But then again, Ren usually was the scapegoat, because there's no way that _perfect, brilliant, kind, smart_ Akira who jumped a grade when he and Ren had been in fourth grade would _ever_ do something unsavory or law breaking --

_Breathe, Ren. I am here with thee, as are Morgana and Zorro._ Arsene's possessiveness spiked into animosity and then simmered down to a low-curling heat that held too many emotions that Ren couldn't parse.

They had bought all of Ren's luggage inside already, and the twins went into the kitchen, Morgana still tucked away in Ren's school bag. "Your friends are very… colorful," Akira remarked while reheating the welcome-home-lunch. To Ren's surprise, the other put double the utensils and plates down, which meant that he was either eating for a second time or had waited for Ren to come home.

Ren hummed a wry grin. "They're great. You could say that we're thick as thieves, even."

He went over to the counter and opened two wrong cupboards before he reached the small plates, taking one out and putting the smoked fish onto it before nudging his bag and Morgana's head popped out.

Akira whistled, low. "Didn't even notice him there."

"This," Ren said, his eyes daring Akira to contradict him, "is Morgana. He is my emotional support therapy cat."

His twin raised an eyebrow but remained silent and Ren, satisfied, continued with his dinner. Morgana had papers, even, courtesy of Kawakami-sensei and Takumi-san, that would allow him to accompany Ren to school. That had been a weird but welcome parting present, to be honest.

The rest of dinner passed in silence, which suited Ren just fine; if the past year has taught him anything, then it was that he wasn't the same person that had left Inaba anymore. He wasn't the same Ren as before. Regardless if the rest of his family had changed or not, Ren had, and it would be impossible to go back to the way things were.

That night, as he lay in his old bed cradled in Arsene's arms and with Morgana at his head, Ren thought about the year ahead, and how he would have to talk to the school tomorrow, how he would meet his parents tomorrow, after a full year of going without a single call or text or mail, thought about how many days were left until Golden Week.

He fell asleep to the soft glow of Arsene's mask.

* * *

Meeting his parents went as expected: his mother was already at work by the time he woke up, and his father nodded once to him in greeting and told Ren, "I hope you don't plan on doing anything as stupid like that again," to which Ren had to bite back the instinctive _if it means saving a person, then yes_ while he watched his father leave for work.

Instead, Ren started unpacking all of his things, hanging up the poster of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and putting all of the knickknacks onto his surprisingly-dusted shelves. Akira walked in just as Ren was fixing up the painting that Yusuke had given him, one of his many drawings of Mementos, and whistled, transfixed on the poster.

"You ever met the Phantom Thieves?"

Ren, with amusement curling low in his stomach, shook his head. "They first appeared at Shujin though, so all of the students became fast fans." And then, out of sheer curiosity: "What do you think of them?"

Akira grinned a wolfish grin. "They're thieves with an honor code, ain't they? Word spread everywhere about what they'd done on Christmas, though no-one's certain about the details. They must be living the dream."

Ren shrugged. They weren't, not really, not yet. Akira watched him unpack, entirely unhelpful, watched Ren fill his shelves with everything that he'd brought with him, and then, once Ren was done and Morgana was sleeping on his bed, Akira picked up one of the books -- one of the Arsène Lupin novels, in French, and something seemed to settle over him as he glanced at Ren, but he didn't comment on it.

Ren didn't, either, and simply shooed Morgana off the bed and into his school bag, adjusting his glasses as he did so.

"You don't actually need them, why're you still keeping them on?"

"Habit, I guess," Ren answered, and didn't say: _to keep us apart._

Arsene thought enough mushy thoughts at Ren that he felt himself blush, and before Akira could ask, grabbed the bag and the papers and made for the door; they were meeting their mother at her workplace, and then they would go to the school to register Ren (and Morgana).

Halfway there Akira spoke up again, and Ren wondered if he'd always been so chatty and Ren never noticed or if it was Ren who'd grown fond of the silence. Maybe it was a bit of both. "So, one of those girls your girlfriend? The blonde one?"

Ren shot him a _look_. "No, none of them, considering that three are in relationships and one is the Boss's daughter."

Akira grinned without any shame whatsoever while they rounded the corner to the hospital. Morgana was glancing around in interest -- Ren had promised him and Arsene a look around tomorrow after school, once he'd settled back into the rhythm of the town. "Any other cute girls, then?"

A very Joker-like expression crossed Ren's face. "Well, no cute _girls,_ no."

It took his brother a second until comprehension sank in, and then he blanched. "Wait, you--" He frowned. "You're gay?"

It sounded very… well. Ren's good mood had evaporated, and he felt as if he'd swallowed something bitter and cloying, and it settled like lead in his stomach. Arsene was very pointedly trying to not let any emotional feedback seep through. He clenched his fists. In a town like this, where everybody always knew everybody, being different was _bad._ "So what if I am?"

Akira glanced around, like _he_ was the cornered animal, and hissed lowly. "Listen, I don't care about that stuff, but if our parents find out, or if anyone hears about it -- you only _just got back from juvie hall,_ Ren."

Our good name would be tarnished, Ren didn't finish, as if it was the most important thing to his family. Akira was a hypocrite; he was just as influenced by their parents' words as Ren had always been, even if he showed it in different ways. It was a careful balance of their parents playing ignorant and of them genuinely not knowing that Akira was not only part of the biker gang but their leader -- not even Ren knew all of the members of it, for all that he sometimes gets confused with Akira by some.

Ren had _seen_ Akira beat up a kid because of some arbitrary reason once.

So Ren grit his teeth and pushed Morgana back into the bag, ignoring his indignant meow, and pushed past his twin. "You're ridiculous," he said, and let Akira come to his own conclusion.

"I'm sorry for my brother," Ren muttered to Morgana and Arsene both, but it was the cat that replied, his fur bristling.

"Why would he _react_ like that!"

Ren sighed and lowered his voice even more. "It's not his fault, entirely. Our parents have some very… nuclear ideas regarding the family and how it should behave."

"Like sending their son away to a city he doesn't know for a full year and then not call him even _once_??"

"Yeah." Ren shrugged. "Why do you think I want to get back to Tokyo?" And then Akira caught up, expression contrite, and their discussion petered off, but not before Arsene thrummed at Ren, _We are here for thee._

_Thank you, Arsene._ And: _less than a full year and I'm out of this town._

Ren's mother was just as he remembered her: he and Akira had gotten their hair from her, black and fluffy, and her expression was resting in a perpetual customer-smile that she'd acquired over the years. It widened when she'd noticed them, became warmer and more genuine. He smiled back, a small thing, but she seemed to not notice his discomfort. They waited for another ten minutes until her shift was over and then went to the bus stop, Ren's mother grilling him about Tokyo and Leblanc and his friends and then cooing over Morgana, honestly delighted. She'd taken the therapy cat excuse without batting an eye, remarking that _"if that cat steps too much out of line, we won't keep him in the house, you understand? He can stay in the garden, but I won't have him destroy our furniture or annoy the neighbors."_

And then they were on their way to the school, and Ren was treated like a new kid who's never set foot into the school before, but he'd expected that, if he were being honest. At least both his new homeroom teacher and the principal were willing to accommodate Morgana once Ren demonstrated how smart his 'official therapy cat' was.

His homeroom teacher smiled at Akira, and then turned to Ren. "I had the pleasure to teach your brother last year, so I expect much from you, Amamiya-kun."

Ren hummed an affirmative, but kept his eyes shadowed behind his bangs and glasses. The teacher smiled again. "Then we'll meet tomorrow at my office before lessons start." She scratched Morgana under the chin one last time, and that was it.


	6. I'm going to try to speak a word, that my heart wants you to know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have more Arsene fluff this chapter, as well as a guest appearance by none other than Shiho! and also more of Ren's shitty parents, but this chapter is mostly about Arsene and Shiho, so.

The next day, Ren was being stared down by almost all of the students in his class with either confusion, apathy or outright hostility, with the exception of one godsent person, next to whom his seat was assigned, thanks to the selfsame god out there _not_ after his hide. Ren sat down in his new seat, let Morgana jump into his space under the table discreetly, and literally _beamed_ at Suzui Shiho, who beamed back.

"Amamiya-kun!" she spoke with actual _delight_ in her voice, "Welcome back to Inaba! Ann forgot to give me your number or I'd have messaged you yesterday already; it's so great to see another familiar face from Tokyo!"

Ren blinked. Shiho blinked as well. A pause. "...Ann forgot to mention to you that I moved to Inaba?"

Yes, yes she did. Ren grinned wryly. "That's correct."

Shiho sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Well," Ren started, and then noticed that he didn't have a good comeback.

Ann really was helpless, sometimes, especially when it came to her girlfriend. Instead he grinned at her again before directing his attention to the teacher, expertly ignoring the murmuring around him. Shiho did the same, and they would sometimes share a glance and then start grinning again, a shared secret making Ren's dreaded first day back at school much, much better. When lunch rolled around Ren let Morgana hop into his bag and then tapped onto Shiho's desk, three times in quick succession to get her attention. She glanced up at him. "Do you want to go to the roof?"

A hum, but she took her own bag before following after him. Ren carefully opened the door and led them outside, the hallways still familiar after a year of absence, and made sure that they stayed away from the fenced-off edge before a teacher noticed them. Shiho was on her phone when he turned to her, a wry smile on her face. "I'm texting Ann to inform her that I found you, no thanks to her help." She glanced around before sitting down on a crate, Ren following after her before he let out Morgana to roam around.

Shiho raised an eyebrow but didn't comment on the cat that was obviously breaking several school regulations. Ren told her, with a straight face, what he told everyone: "He's my emotional support therapy cat."

"Mh-hm, that he is. Obviously."

Morgana, the traitor, meowed his agreement. Ren hummed, amused, before starting on his lunch and letting Shiho do the same, only interrupting their silence once they were almost finished. "Since when are you in Inaba, anyways?"

Shiho set her food down. "My mother and I moved here after I'd gotten better, and I enrolled for the last half of the previous year." She smiled at him. "I thought I'd never see any of you again until I graduate and visit Tokyo, and then Ann calls me out of the blue a week ago and tells me that you're moving back here. This is the most interesting thing to happen ever since I found out that the local Junes has a mascot."

Ren huffs a laugh. "That's Inaba for you. We have a Junes, and a mascot, and sometimes Risette, and that's pretty much that. It's a quiet town."

"It really is," Shiho agreed, standing up and dusting off her skirt. "Amamiya-kun, I was wondering…"

Ren blinks, humming an inquisitive noise. Shiho continues: "may I call you Ren-kun? It's only, you're Ann's friend, and she mentions you so often, and I'd like to think that we could be friends as well, all things considered."

Arsene's pleased warmth spreads through Ren. Ren quirks a smile. "Only if you let me do the same, Shiho-san. We big city kids have to stick together."

Shiho grins. "You aren't a 'big city kid' though."

"In my heart, Shiho-san, in my heart."

* * *

The rest of the school day continued as expected; some of the students stared at him in open hostility, some were indifferent, and two of Ren's former acquaintances (he didn't want to call them friends, necessary, because he'd never really been close enough to people for that, and most of the ones he could call friends were also more Akira's friends than his) even apologized for not believing him. Ren watched all of this happen with a detachment that he usually reserved for Joker's quarries, and then it was over and Ren texted Akira that he'd stroll around Inaba to get 're-acquainted' with the town, and he'd waved good-bye to Shiho at the front gates.

Once Ren made it far enough away from the school, Morgana stuck his head out of his bag. "So," the cat asked. "Where to now?"

And thus, Ren proceeded to show them around Inaba.

It did not take longer than that day, even with Ren providing little anecdotes about this and that. At one point a police car passed them, and Ren, upon seeing the officer, remarked that "Officer Dojima was the only local inspector to believe me. I guess I should visit him with flowers or something, as a thank you gift."

(Also, wasn't there something else related to flowers that he was forgetting?)

They passed the residential district and the riverbank, made a round around the graveyard, strolled past the local biker-gang hangout that most of the town still hadn't found because it was a little outside of the town's boundaries, passed the Amagi Inn and the local shrine, then made their way into the shopping district, Ren noting that some of the previously-closed shops had reopened. They passed Aiya's and Tatsumi Textiles, Ren remarking to Morgana and Arsene about the formers high-standard customer service. "It doesn't matter where in town you are, they will deliver your food to you, come hell or high water."

After that followed Marukyu Tofu, owned by "the great Risette's" family, according to Morgana's newfound love of the idol, and the metalworks shop that caught Arsene's interest due to the displayed weaponry. Ren also eyed a set of switchblades with an interested hum, and decided that he would visit the shop in the future.

Lastly, they passed a bookstore, where Ren used to work part-time, and he stuffed the not-cat back into the bag while getting onto the bus and exiting at Junes, where Ren opened his arms in a flourish.

_"Welcome,"_ he intoned, to the amusement of some kids next to him, "to Junes."

Morgana looked distinctly unimpressed. Ren shrugged. "It's a shopping mall, Mona, what did you expect?"

"Something more… interesting?"

Ren rolled his eyes at the cat and proceeded to scoop him up and walk inside, showing him and his persona around and also shopping for curry ingredients for tomorrow's dinner. Sadly, they didn't meet the mascot, but upon checking out, Ren saw a familiar face.

"Amamiya-kun!"

"Hanamura-san, hello."

Yosuke Hanamura made a face. "Please don't call me that, it makes me sound as old as my dad." He shook his head and proceeded to scan Ren's products. "Still, it's good to have you back again, Amamiya-kun. I was sad to see you go, you were one of our most reliable help."

_I thought thee said that thou worked at the bookstore?_ Ren, perfectly capable of holding two conversations at once, replied to Arsene, _I started working at Junes three months before I went to Tokyo,_ and to Yosuke: "I wasn't that good, Yosuke-senpai."

Yosuke rolled his eyes. "You were, trust me. Between you and Teddie, I'd take you any day. Anyways, how long have you been back? Any plans on working soon?"

Ren raised an eyebrow. Yosuke deflated and finished scanning everything, ringing up Ren's total. "I felt really bad about how everyone treated you. You were accused without any real investigation, right? Chie and Nanako-chan constantly complained about her father complaining about it."

Ren was taken aback, but Arsene hummed satisfaction at him. "You barely know me, though?"

"We've worked together for three months while I was your shift supervisor, Amamiya-kun. I'd like to think that I got to know you pretty well."

Ren felt oddly touched, especially when Yosuke continued. "So, if you'd like, want to spend your time by earning some money, you're free to come back to Junes; if anyone were to give you trouble just tell me, yeah?"

"I'll think about it."

And thus, Ren's first real day back in Inaba was over.

* * *

The next days turned into his new normal, Ren falling back into a routine that was filled with more boredom than he'd like, the only lights being Arsene and Shiho; Morgana had taken to prowling around the town to familiarize himself with it, and would usually leave Ren alone after school until early evening, mostly trailing behind the inhabitants of Inaba from sheer curiosity. It's not like he could get lost, like he sometimes did in Tokyo, so Ren let him -- at least the not-cat didn't try to force a bedtime upon Ren anymore.

Ren actually had the feeling that Morgana now knew the town better than he himself did.

He'd started working part-time at Junes again, under Yosuke as before, and three days into his new employment he'd dragged Shiho into it, because she had been complaining that Ren was spending less time with her than before. Both of them obviously still kept in touch with Ann and the others, and Shiho proved herself to be much more perceptive than Ren had assumed by cornering him on the rooftop a week after school had started, demanding to know about the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Ren had told her an abridged version of what had happened, simply glad to be able to talk about it to someone, and then they'd proceeded to hang out _even more_ while Shiho asked all sorts of wonderful questions, and while Ren felt Arsene give side-commentary.

(During one memorable work week when both Ren and Shiho were working the same shift as Junes Mascot Teddie(tm), they tried a covert-photo-op to finally convince the other Phantom Thieves that the mascot was real. Could they have walked up to Teddie and asked him for a picture? Yes. Would it have saved them time? Also yes. Did they do that? _No way,_ because that week had been the most interesting one yet ever since Ren had been back. Even Morgana had joined in on the fun.

They'd gotten their photo, in the end, Yosuke taking it for them with Teddie in the middle. Ann had sent a keysmash and Futaba had filmed Ryuji when they'd discovered it, and Ren cheekily sent back a _Checkmate!)_

Ren had also gotten around to thank (Inspector, as he'd found out) Dojima and his daughter while meeting them very randomly in Junes once, and the officer had gruffly nodded and patted Ren on the back before following after his daughter.

The relationship with his family didn't change much, but for the first time Ren felt it difficult to sit at the dinner table across his father and mother and pretend as if there weren't any problems between them -- Ren's father was as absent as always, only offering harsh critique against Akira's current job (at the gas station) or his nonexistent relationship (his last girlfriend of two years broke up sometime during Ren's stay in Tokyo) in his underhanded way. Ren, too, was not exempt from this, especially in the girlfriend department whenever he'd mention any of his female friends from Tokyo, or more recentl Shiho, and Ren's exemplary academic year at Shujin apparently 'didn't count'.

His mother tried to diffuse some of the tension, but it was clear that she agreed with Ren's father about almost all of those things, and so Ren was left to stew silently over yet another disagreement while Arsene thrummed affection at him, Akira staring at his food with unflinching, hard eyes.

_I wonder why I've never noticed it before,_ Ren thought one evening.

_Because this year away has given thee a perspective thou found thyself lacking in, before._ Arsene's claws carded through Ren's hair, gently, and he let Ren play around with his coverts with minimal complain while Ren rested his head on the persona's thigh. _And thou hast grown to be a better person._

He let go of the feathers, staring up at Arsene's contemplative mask, his fire low and simmering coal-red. Ren closed his eyes with a huff. "The truth is that there's no love lost between me and my parents anymore, after they didn't believe me." _But I worry about Akira. He'll burn out at this rate._

A claw pushed against Ren's lips, silencing him, and then trailed over Ren's cheek to his neck, pinning him down against Arsene. _Thou will as well, dearest, if thee continue this way. I can feel it. Mayhap coming here was not a wise decision._

But it was not a decision Ren had been allowed to make, not really; he had to come back to Inaba because his probation was up and his parents were still his legal guardians, but Ren would turn eighteen in a few months, and then he would be out of this town and back in Tokyo for college.

Maybe Shiho would even accompany him.

* * *

Golden Week came and went, and Ren had left for Tokyo with Akira's scowling and his parents' disapproving frowns following his wake, Shiho by his side and Arsene in his heart. Morgana was constantly chattering during the train ride, as excited as everyone else, and Ren could make out Zorro's amused expression in the mirrored window when they'd finally stopped at their destination, the whole phantom troupe waiting for them with open arms.

Once back in the country, it became an even worse longing, to be reunited with everybody, but at least Makoto remembered that they still had the Thieves' Den where they could meet up -- Inaba apparently still was in its reach, after one short talk with Igor. The metacognitive palace really was a godsent, all things considered, because it made the waiting time between holidays much more bearable; Shiho had to wait a good two weeks before her schedule was freed up enough that she could go and meet with Ann, the two having been glued together the whole week in a way Ren could sympathize with very much.

Ren paused.

And _smacked_ his book against his forehead.

Morgana and Akira stared at him funnily from their places on the couch and the loveseat respectively, Akira pausing his game to raise an eyebrow pointedly. Ren waved them off before opening Ann's contact.

> **_Ren:_ **
> 
> _So it just occurred to me that you and Shiho could meet much more easily if we invited her to the Den_

Ann's reply was almost immediate:

> **_Ann:_ **
> 
> _OMG_
> 
> **_Ann:_ **
> 
> _can we even do that??_
> 
> **_Ann:_ **
> 
> _but also yes please! I miss Shiho!_
> 
> **_Ann:_ **
> 
> _and you, but I saw you two days ago, so that doesn't count_
> 
> **_Ren:_ **
> 
> _That would entail telling her about everything, though, so we'd have to ask the others first_

Ann sent him a thumbs-up, and so Ren proceeded to do just that, and was met with overwhelmingly positive responses. Makoto summed it up quite nicely, actually, with _she is already an unofficial member anyways, it's time to make her an official one_ and Ryuji's enthusiastic _hell yeah!_ was echoed by many.

(Mishima, for all that he managed the Phan-site, was deemed too frail and unstable for the whole, unfiltered truth by his own shamefaced admission, and opted out of it until he was in a mentally better space to absorb it all. Yusuke and Futaba were waiting with a handy presentation and a handpicked codename for him until then.)

Ren smiled, genuinely glad, and nudged Arsene's resting consciousness. _Guess what,_ he asked and Arsene read his thoughts and laughed.

* * *

Two days later on a Saturday, when Ren and Shiho were meeting at an underpass next to one of the connecting bridges across the river, the day when Ren was supposed to tell Shiho all about persona and then invite her to the Thieves' Den, he was in a foul mood. Shiho, used to his moods by now and how to deal with them, sat down and asked him what was wrong.

Ren sighed and sat down as well, on a flat rock across from her.

He felt horrible and angry and confused and guilty.

He told her as much, and then elaborated: his mother wanted new curtains and pillow cases for their living room, to match some of the new furniture, and the only place that sells high-quality textiles is Tatsumi Textiles, and so the whole family was dragged along to purchase the fabric. Ren had thought it a fast, problem-free shopping trip and had hoped to also snag some soft fabric for Morgana's new cat bed, but the whole thing had become a tense affair when Kanji-san had been the one to work that day, Ren's mother and father falling into uncomfortable patterns at once. Ren had stood by and watched as they made snide remarks and insinuations about Kanji-san's character and had felt conflicted about interrupting or not, Akira a stony presence at his side that glared at him to _drop it, not now._

They left with their fabrics and with his parents feeling that they were certainly in the right, all the while Ren had felt uncomfortable to the bone, Arsene's presence muted and quietly sad. Where had been Ren's rebellion then, when it would have mattered? Kanji-san's expression had been forcibly neutral, but the way his shoulders had been held had suggested that that hadn't been the first time it had happened to him.

Shiho's expression was pursed. "That sounds…"

"Yeah." Ren sighed again, massaging over his temples. "They've always been like that, but lately it has been really bothering me."

Shiho eyed him, understanding. "Because of me and Ann, or because of the Thieves? Or because of… something else?"

"All three, I guess." He smiled, wry. "Mostly because of what I've learned in Tokyo, but also --" He paused, made a split-second decision: "I have a lover."

Shiho smiled in delight, making Arsene preen and Ren flush hotly; this was the first time he's told someone about Arsene and himself, and it was _-exhilarating_. Different. It was a nice feeling. "Or a soulmate, would be more apt. We've met while I was in Tokyo, during the whole Phantom Thieves business, and he was the first person that believed in me and made me feel like I mattered, after the whole assault case. Who thought that I had been in the right. Who completes me and makes me better, who understands me completely." Ren smiled, warm and soft, and Arsene felt vaguely like butter and cotton candy, filling Ren's bones until he felt as if he could float.

"That's wonderful!" Shiho said, and then took on a mock-chiding tone. "And you never told me even though we've known each other for how long? What's this mysterious lover's name?"

"Arsene," Ren answered, tone fond. "His name is Arsene, and he finds you delightful."

Shiho blinked.

"He's also currently blushing to the tips of his horns, and he generally has opinions about how I prepare our coffee, aaaand now he's amused at your confusion."

Shiho blinked again, lost. "Ren-kun? What?"

"Right. This might become weird now. Do you trust me, Shiho?" Ren dropped the honorific in favor of the seriousness of the situation, and Shiho seemed to notice that, because she took a deep breath and nodded. Ren smirked, let himself go and fall into some of the familiar patterns of Joker even outside of the Metaverse. "Then close your eyes for me, now. Don't worry -- here, take my hand, but keep them closed.

(Shiho did as told, confused but not afraid, and felt Ren's hands holding loosely onto her own. He twined their fingers together in one hand in what felt like an almost intimate gesture, until their palms were flat against each other, and then his other started to slowly slide out of hers. Before Shiho could question it, another hand replaced it, much larger than hers, almost as if claws were holding up her palm delicately. It felt vaguely snake-like, cool to the touch but giving and soft, like the one ball python she's petted at the animal shelter, only not as scaly. She frowned, confused.

"Open your eyes," Ren said, and Shiho did, and gasped.

There was a horned demon standing before her, with large black wings and a top hat and a mask that was spitting flames, and it was holding her hand so gently, his other being held by Ren, and even as Shiho jerked backwards Ren's grasp on her never faltered.

The flames on the demon's mask dimmed, became softer, somehow.

She took a breath, and then another. _Things and people you can't imagine,_ Ann had told her, before she had moved away.

There was a demon standing before her with black angel wings, and he had a gentle grasp on her hand and an even gentler one on Ren's, and there was a soft smile on Ren's face as he glanced at the demon, and all at once, Shiho understood.

"You're… Arsene?"

_"Oui,_ " Arsene said, his voice strangely echoing in her head. _"I am something known as a persona. It is a pleasure to formally make thy acquaintance, Mademoiselle Shiho; long have I wished to meet thee.")_

Shiho blinked once more, let the words sink in, and flushed brightly. "A-ah. Thank you." She glanced beseechingly at Ren, who huffed a laugh.

"A persona is kind of a representation of your soul, only much more complicated; that doesn't really do it justice. Every thief has one, and you're going to be seeing them around in the future, so I thought I might warn you now."

"A representation of-- that's why you said a soulmate?" She glanced between them, before the second part registered. "Why?"

(And also, how could Ren be so _sappy_ with such a straight face?)

Ren leaned against Arsene, took in his contentment, a low buzz in his chest, and said, "there's a way to meet with Ann and the others more often than every two or three weeks, but it is strictly through 'Phantom Thief Business.'" He squeezed Shiho's hand. "Almost everything that we've accomplished as thieves was done in a place called the Metaverse and you can enter it through a phone app. In there is a place called the Thieves' Den that is our hideout, where we can usually meet, and I can enter it from here."

Ren paused, let Shiho take it all in. Arsene hummed in agreement. _"Thou canst accompany us there, and meet with thy ladylove."_

Ren knew that Shiho was a strong person, and Arsene knew it as well, which is why neither of them were surprised when Shiho agreed, a few minutes later. Arsene smiled, delighted, flames licking up his mask, and Ren grinned a true Joker grin before he took out his phone and opened the app.

Shiho's gasp of awe would be one of the best accomplishments that Ren had achieved.

* * *

("I hope that you're aware that you're not off the hook, Amamiya-kun," Shiho told him next day on the rooftop. "Here I am bored to death and missing my Ann, which you know, and you have a way of meeting in person more than once a month, and you keep it from me!"

"To my defense," Ren stammered, terrified of the Ann impression she did, "we kind of forgot about the Thieves' Den because it's so new, and only remembered after Golden Week because we were unsure if it could even reach until Inaba, so--"

_"Thou art not helping thy case, my little thief."_

"Hello, Arsene, nice of you to join us -- he's right, you know.")

* * *

* * *

Ren would go back to Tatsumi Textiles two days later with Shiho in tow, measurements for Mona's cat bed scribbled onto a sheet, and carefully apologize for the behavior of his family.

Kanji-san had shrugged and accepted it gruffly, and then lit up when Ren mentioned the cat bed. They spent the next ten minutes scrolling through all of the cat pics on Ren's phone of Morgana doing typical cat things.

"I think I saw him roaming around sometimes," Kanji-san remarked, and Ren nodded.

"I let him out, so it's possible; if the cat was wearing a yellow collar then it was Morgana. If you put sushi out for him he'll let himself be pet."

  
  



	7. your hand met mine; two puzzle pieces fitting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a happy (belated) new year, and it seems that the shitshow that was 2020 seems to be continuing, still.  
> On a much nicer note, I can't wait for Persona 5 Strikers to come out on Switch, and my wallet is already feeling it, haha

There was a Velvet Room door in Inaba, right next to the old bookstore where Ren had worked. It had been there ever since the first day Ren's been back, and he'd been inside a few times already, to talk to Lavenza and Igor and to listen to the music, or to simply escape his home, a haven in a stormy sea. He'd made use of its patronage that one time with the inquiry about the Thieves' Den, but other than that, he simply visited it every other week or so.

Sometimes, there was a woman talking to Lavenza, with the same eye and hair color but older, and Lavenza had introduced her as Margaret, _"my older sister."_ Two more siblings rounded up the family, one older brother and another sister, both younger than Margaret, though Ren had never seen them before.

_"Theodore likes the city more,"_ Lavenza had said, _"And Elizabeth is off on her own journey, so he helps her guest's friends out sometimes."_

_"You remind me of_ my _guest,"_ Margaret had told him once, looking through Ren's compendium with a hum. " _Both of you are so selfless; I should pay him a visit soon."_

It wasn't as if Ren had expected that the Phantom Thieves were the only persona users, but this all but confirmed it, especially because Margaret had added, _"such a rare coincidence, that two wildcards would cross paths in the same town."_

He had blinked at that, surprised, and had come back two days later with a question that wouldn't leave him alone anymore: "The Midnight Channel rumors and the murders that were linked to it, some five years ago, that's when we crossed paths, me and this other wildcard?"

Margaret smiled, a small and mysterious thing, and nodded. "Yes."

Ren, after no answer was forthcoming, prodded. "You want me to find him?"

The attendant laughed. "Only if you want to; your story is finished, after all, so whatever actions you take are your own. But Lavenza has been telling me that you are bored in Inaba, so I thought a little treasure hunt might excite you, Trickster." She toasted him with an invisible glass, and Ren felt his own smile break out. He liked her, this Margaret.

_What do you say, Arsene? We hunt down some persona users?_

_It does indeed sound like a worthwhile task,_ the persona thought, a thrill running through them both.

* * *

Shiho was very easily convinced to join them on the hunt over the following days, after inquiring about the Midnight Channel.

"It was this thing the older kids were all talking about, that when you look at the television at midnight, you would meet your soulmate; after some time, it was found out that murder victims of a current serial case were being shown before they would wind up dead. I don't know all of the details, Akira was the one who'd heard about the latter part of the rumors from the older kids in the biker gang."

"That sounds… horrible." Shiho frowned. Ren shrugged.

"The murder was caught the same year he appeared, and there weren't that many victims, thankfully."

_It does sound suspiciously like persona activity, though,_ Arsene remarked. Ren agreed. He was experiencing a high he usually associated with the Palaces' deadlines looming nearer, or with the end results of a particularly strong emotional resonance with Arsene, and it was _delicious_. They were in Junes, currently, browsing through the aisles and brainstorming who to stalk, when a stack of DVDs caught Ren's attention, neatly diverting his focus like nothing else.

He blinked. This-- was a priority, for whatever reason.

"Hey, Shiho?"

She turned to him, and Ren pointed towards his prize. "Wanna watch one of these?"

She walked over, furrowing her brows. " _'Kaitou KID's magic shows from the last decade?'_ Why?"

He shrugged, not willing to admit that there was a nagging in the back of his mind that told him he was forgetting something. Arsene hummed, confused but intrigued. "It seems as good a way to pass time here as any."

"...I guess I can't say anything against that. But what about our investigation?"

That was true, but...

"The other persona users wont disappear if we start tomorrow instead of today. What do you say? My parents are off to work until the early morning hours, and Akira is… doing whatever. We could watch this."

"There better be popcorn and coffee, mister."

(They ended up watching the full DVD, eight hours worth of magic shows and heist tricks that had Ren take mental notes in the middle, because KID was _spectacular_ with a grappling hook. Arsene and Mona had joined them, Ren shamelessly using his persona as a personal pillow, Morgana seated and purring in Shiho's arms, the latter grinning at Ren. He tried to ignore it. Some of the shows were from America, even, just as fantastic and gravity-defying as the ones in Japan, and Ren fervently hoped to be even half as good a phantom thief as KID was, one day.

_I'd like to think that we are just as good,_ Arsene commented, and nuzzled into Ren's neck after a particularly gravity-defying stunt. Shiho grinned at them while Morgana complained loudly when Ren nuzzled back, flushing red.)

* * *

The hunt resumed the next day after school, Ren's senses on high alert against anything, his Third Eye wide open in a way that he hadn't bothered using in Inaba before -- and yeah, this place certainly saw persona use in the past before. The Velvet Room's door was a constant presence like this, as was Arsene, shimmering see-through next to Ren, Zorro hovering over Morgana in a faint outline.

Time to find the other users.

(It took them three days of snooping around to find three users and two possible confidantes, especially once Ren found a pattern: all of them were friends of Yosuke-senpai's, and he mentioned them often enough that Ren could surmise who the missing members were from listening to him at work: Risette, who was currently off on a nationwide, last tour, someone called Naoto who may or may not be the same Naoto as in _the First Detective Prince,_ and a guy called Narukami Yu who was working with some sort of government police or something with the aforementioned Naoto. The possible confidantes were catalogued as Teddie and inspector Dojima's daughter, Nanako, though Ren was not 100% sure on those.

It was actually quite disappointing that it had only taken them three days, because those had been three days of fun, doing things palace-invasion style. Shiho certainly had seemed to enjoy them, telling Ann and Ryuji all about it the following evening in the _Thieves' Den_ while playing a round of go fish.

Yusuke, also present, turned to Ren with one raised brow, brush held loosely in his hand. "What shall you do with this knowledge, then?"

Ren grinned. "Send a calling card, of course; unless someone is against it. And if you and Ryuji could make them."

Goemon, currently loosing in a game of blackjack against Arsene, Captain Kidd and Carmen, waved at Ren. _"Of course we shall do that. Four cards, right?"_ After Ren's nod, he turned back to his game, frowning. Glancing at his cards, Goemon glared at Kidd and Arsene. " _One of you is cheating, I know it."_

Carmen hid a smirk behind her hand and flashed an amused grin at Ren. _)_

The calling cards were ready by the next evening, and Ren sent Morgana to deliver them in the early morning hours, giddy with anticipation.

* * *

The next day, he and Shiho spent the afternoon at Tatsumi Textiles browsing through the fabrics and talking to Kanji-san's mother and then to a tense Kanji-san after his shift started, having planned an appointment in advance. Morgana was doing his best impression of a cute cat, with them for _reasons,_ and Shiho was bubbling about making a plush for Ann as a present, the textile shop quickly having become their local Gay Woes Hangout(tm) over the last two weeks.

(It was a small town, okay? Ren was glad to have a hangout that _wasn't_ the school or one of their homes, especially because he never knew when Akira was around, and things had been tense ever since the family outing.

Well, tenser than usual.)

It was quite amusing, actually, watching Kanji-san glance periodically towards the door as if waiting for someone, and he kept shooting Ren and Shiho worried looks as if they could be in danger by proximity.

And then the door opened, and Yosuke-senpai walked in, with Teddie and Satonaka Chie, sometimes-assistant coach at Yasogami High, and Amagi Yukiko, who was a surprise to Ren; he'd pegged her as a possible confidante and didn't send her a letter like he'd done to Yosuke-senpai, Kanji-san and Satonaka-senpai. Teddie, Ren had expected, considering he was the adopted brother of Yosuke-senpai (or something), but as for Amagi-san?

Eh. Whatever. He and Shiho shared a glance, equally as amused, and greeted the others before seemingly going back to their argument about the squishiness of the fabric they were looking at. Ann would love it. Ren was trying to convince Shiho that they should get something for Ryuji and Haru as well, considering they loved soft and squishy things, but Shiho was being the voice of reason and reminded him about the prices like a killjoy.

Kanji-san had turned to his friends, already used to their squabbling, just as planned. "I don't want to kick them out, necessarily, but..."

_"No buts!"_ Yosuke-senpai hissed. "We don't know what these Phantom Thieves want from us! I'm not dragging Ren-kun and Suzui-chan into any danger!"

(Ren felt honored, and maybe a little bad for what he was about to do.)

"But aren't the Phantom Thieves supposed to be friendly?" That was Satonaka-senpai, a worried frown on her face. Amagi-san was the only one who actually managed to keep her voice down enough that Ren couldn't pick it up even with his enhanced hearing (paranoia and his Third Eye did wonders in that regard), and Ren let them stew around for a few seconds more, Arsene's amusement curling through his gut, before glancing at Shiho.

She had her phone out, ready to document everything.

He gave her a thumbs-up and turned around, clapping his hands together. Loudly. The bickering ceased abruptly as the others seemed to flinch back, and Ren settled into Joker like homecoming. "The Phantom Thieves of Hearts only steal from the guilty and wrong, and only send calling card to those they are certain that need a change of heart; meeting like this, all hush-hush, wouldn't that make you seem all the guiltier?"

He grinned at their confused and wary expressions, and continued. "Rather, you meeting like this, it confirmed a theory. Tell me, does the word _persona_ mean anything to you?"

Yosuke-senpai sucked in a breath. "Hey, _how do you--"_

"Amamiya, Suzui, what is the meaning of this?"

Teddie's eyes widened. "Ah, this is beary bad!"

_Jackpot._

Ren bowed, low, a showman's gesture, and Morgana circled around his legs to come out in front, sitting still in anticipation. A nudge at Arsene, and Joker's uniform materialized in a shimmering cascade, a neat little trick they'd found out the last month in Tokyo that was dead useful once mastered. Ren's mask was last to settle with a flourish under his fingertips, his other stretched out, palm open, towards the others in a _come hither_ gesture.

He tapped the edge of his mask like a gentleman might tip his hat, and introduced himself. "I am Joker, leader of the Phantom Thieves, holder of the Fool arcana. Well met, persona users of Inaba. This," he gestured at Morgana, Yosuke-senpai and his friends too stunned to react, "is Mona, my Magician." A flourish at Shiho. "And Shiho, codename pending, my Art."

(Shiho blinked. " _Art,"_ she muttered. _"What does he mean by 'Art?")_

Amagi-san was the first to recover. "So you're persona users?"

"So we're persona users." Ren let himself relax, a wry grin tugging at his lips. "I'd love to say that this has to be fate, but truth to be told, I was bored and snooped around and had it confirmed by the Velvet Room attendants that Inaba was full of persona users; finding you was rather easy."

Yosuke-senpai's resulting affronted expression was rather comical, all things considered.

* * *

They talked until Kanji ( _"There's no need for honorifics now, wouldn't you agree?")_ had to close shop and then lingered around the front for another hour or two, exchanging tales about all of the weird adventures everyone had gotten into due to persona, Ren dismissing his uniform halfway through, the mental effort to keep it not needed. Shiho had blinked incredulously at some of the more outlandish stuff -- apparently the Investigation Team (cute little name if Ren were being honest) had entered their part of the Metaverse through old televisions, some of which still existed in a locked, personell-only room in Junes through which Yosuke and the others periodically checked the TV World and took care of the lingering shadows.

Ren had expressed an interest in entering the Metaverse that way, and then told them about the navigator app each Phantom Thief had that lead to Mementos, and Chie had whistled, impressed. She'd remarked that it sounded much easier than squeezing through a small TV and Ren had to agree with the sentiment, vividly imagining Yusuke or Makoto inelegantly falling through one.

Arsene had followed up with the mental image of Johanna or Captain Kidd with his ship trying to squeeze through, and Ren had to excuse himself for five minutes until he'd gotten his laughter in check.

Teddie and Morgana bonded, sort of, over being the token nonhuman teammates of their respective groups, though the fact that Teddie had apparently gained a human form was a sore spot for the not-cat.

Apparently most of the Investigation Team worked part-time with the Shadow Operatives, a _private paramilitary organization_ made up of persona users and others in-the-know, working on shadow-related incidents. Ren may had to sit down at hearing that. He was suitably impressed, of course, but also --

_Where had they been when Shido was still a free man, when Yaldabaoth emerged?_

Arsene had thrummed at Ren, cooling down the hot spike of anger, and Ren had resolved to let Futaba run wild with this new information once he'd have the time to text the other Thieves.

And also: Makoto would want to hear about this, he was sure of it, especially if this group sometimes worked together with the police -- see Shirogane Naoto, First Detective Prince.

The two groups parted ways after Shiho's mother called her for the second time, with promises of meeting up the next day at Junes for an exploration of the TV World, and Ren and Morgana hurried home only to find Akira sitting at the dining table, fingers folded together. His eyes were hooded and half-mast, a sliver of almost-black visible in the darkness.

Ren stopped, frozen.

" _Where_ have you _been_ ," Akira asked, hissed. "Mom and dad are worried about you sneaking around town."

Morgana's fur bristled and Ren crouched down, smoothing it back. "I was out with Shiho."

"Uh-huh. _With Shiho._ Doing what, exactly?"

Ren shrugged, leaning his weight onto his knees and dropping down from the crouch, appearing as nonconfrontational as possible. "We were shopping for fabrics and lost track the time while talking to Kanji-san and some of his friends."

At once, the tension left Akira's shoulders, and he seemed to sag into himself. "God, Ren, don't wander around Inaba at night, it's what's gotten you into trouble in the first place." He frowned, displeased. "I'll tell mom that you and Suzui were at Junes or at the shrine or something, and that you forgot the time."

Ren nodded, standing up again with Morgan in his hands. "Do that. I'm going to my room."

He left, not noticing the contemplative frown gracing Akira's features.

* * *

The TV World was _fascinating._

Ren grinned, glancing around, noting the vibrant colors and mad shapes surrounding him, a location straight out of _Alice in Wonderland._ Arsene was coiling around his skin in anticipation, wonderment shared between them both.

Yosuke was beaming at him, still clad in his shift manager uniform, evidently enjoying it just as much as Ren. Morgana was walking circles around him and Kanji and Shiho, forever a regular cat after being brought back but being finally understood by the latter, talking a mile a minute at her, delighted.

Shiho didn't know where to look, overwhelmed and fascinated. Finally, she turned towards Ren. "Is Mementos similar to this place?"

Ren, taking in the wacky architecture and almost sunny clearing they were currently in, next to a giant stack of TVs, shook his head. "It's more… red."

Morgana snorted, winding around Kanji's legs. "This is a different part of the Metaverse, just as Mementos is. It seems much more peaceful, probably because Inaba is a town and Tokyo a city."

"Nothing ever happens in Inaba," Yosuke muttered, and then raised his voice, pointing a dagger into a random direction. "You guys wanna go search for some shadows? They're pretty rare these days, but one or two always gather."

Everyone agreed, though Shiho seemed somewhat reluctant. Ren bumped their shoulders together. "Don't worry, if anything happens to you, Ann would have my head."

Shiho snorted, carefully following after Yosuke's lead, Kanji bringing up the rear while he talked to Morgana. They were discussing cat beds, from what Ren could make out. "So chivalrous of you."

He rolled his eyes. "No, seriously; Arsene and I have your back. Nothing will happen to you."

"This Arsene is your persona?" Yosuke turned back towards them, interested, and Kanji also sped up to listen in, Morgana smugly riding on his shoulder. Ren hummed.

"Arsene Lupin, yes." Arsene preened, but Yosuke only blinked, nonplussed, and so Ren tacked on, "Gentleman phantom thief from France? Has a whole novel series? Mona's is Zorro, swashbuckling defender of the weak from Spanish California. Yours?"

Yosuke whistled. "You got international persona? That's so cool -- mine's Susano-o and Kanji's is Rokuten Maoh, so we're on the homefront."

"Your persona are literally gods, dude, why do you sound so disappointed. They probably don't like it." Morgana meowed, perplexed, and then jumped down from Kanji's shoulder and onto Shiho's.

Kanji snorted. "Our whole team only got Japanese persona, so it's always interesting to hear about others, yeah?"

That made sense. They fell into silence for the next few minutes, Shiho and Morgana conversing about their surrounding while Ren compared it to Mementos. He tried to not think about the frosty breakfast he'd shared with Akira and his mother that morning, focusing on the weird, fog-like mist that was gathering further down along their path.

_Thou will have to talk to them sooner or later, little thief. Avoiding it further will only worsen it._

Yes, Arsene, Ren was very aware of that. _It's_ fine. _I'll be eighteen in five weeks, and then it won't really matter anyways._

But it will, Arsene's emotions managed to convey, heavy and filling Ren with warmth in his stomach, and then with actual words: _To thee it matters._

Ren thought about an answer, his focus redoubling on the thickening fog. _That's-- hey._ "Yosuke-senpai, is the fog supposed to behave like this?"

Yosuke grinned. "Congratulations, you found the shadows!" And then to Shiho and Morgana, "back when everything was still happening, the fog spilled over from the TV World into Inaba, and it caused all kinds of trouble -- everyone who wasn't part of Yu's social link forgot it again, though, and even for them it's foggy."

A blink.

Realization.

_"Oooh,_ the fog! That was the catalyst back then, right? It was an awfully foggy year even for Inaba." Ren took the words in while they walked towards this fog. "Something like that happened to us too, on Christmas. An imposter-god who'd impersonated the Master of the Velvet Room let parts of Mementos bleed into Tokyo, and it rained blood, but pretty much as soon as we'd taken care of it -- nothing."

Yosuke, readying a dagger, squinted at Ren. "Yeah, that about sounds right."

* * *

There were three shadows of intermediate strength, Ren and Morgana teaming up for one and Yosuke and Kanji fighting against the other two. Technically, there really was no need to call forth their persona, all four of them strong enough to take them on with relative ease, but this _was_ about showing off, and so Morgana materialized Zorro to neatly bisect their own all the while lamenting his lack of thumbs with which to hold his own sabre, and Yosuke's Susano-o made quick work of his shadow.

Arsene was huffing a laugh at the not-cat's eagerness to show off when Ren noticed that the third shadow -- the one Kanji was fighting against -- had made a (surprisingly smart) beeline for the only noncombatant at the edge of their battlefield, Kanji's expression showing his surprise.

Now, Ren was certain that the young adult was perfectly capable of killing the shadow before it reached Shiho, but he also was in the mood to show off, and so he touched his mask gently, reverently, and smirked, summoning Arsene.

Shiho barely had the time to register that a Shadow was headed her way before Arsene was before her and had made quick work of the thing, turning towards her with a flourish and tipping his hat.

The others were already making their way over, Yosuke jogging to catch up to them as he was the farthest away.

Arsene made a spiel out of dusting off imaginary dirt off her shoulder before taking a step back and straightening, staying to her right. _"There; nary a hair out of place, as promised."_

Shiho hummed. "Thank you, Arsene. Also, this was terrifying."

Morgana, used to Arsene, Necronomicon and Milady mother-henning them every-so-often after battles, shrugged. "It's not with a persona."

Ren nodded. "Told you we'd protect you, didn't I?"

She smiled, amused and fond. "That you did."

_"Um,"_ Yosuke said, "sorry to interrupt, but did your persona just talk? _Out loud?"_

Three pairs of eyes and one red-flaming mask turned towards him and Kanji. _"Oui, I did. Why would I not?"_

Morgana frowned. "Your persona _do_ talk to you, don't they?"

"They do, sure, but only to us and not anyone else. Especially not to people without persona -- no offense, Suzui." That was Kanji. "And even then it's only like-- impressions. Emotions. Rarely outright a whole conversation. Telepathy."

"I mean, that too." Ren said, before glancing at Arsene, his fire dim in a not-fun way, his wings drooped and lacking their usual lustre. He remembered, with sudden clarity, the breakfast on Valentines', how Arsene had said that he thought that _having as much autonomy and sense of self as our group has is unusual._ How sad he'd been then, too.

"It probably has to do with how we awakened to them, actually," Morgana surmised, no doubt remembering the same thing, tail lashing around. "All of our persona are autonomous like that, my own Zorro included. Right?"

_"Yes,"_ Zorro said, now on Shiho's left. _"Yours are not? We had been looking forward to meeting other persona and swap stories and the like."_

"Uh--" silence, from Yosuke, before he looked sheepish. "Sorry, it seems that it won't be happening face-to-face. Susano-o is not too keen on materializing randomly without a good reason. To be fair, the persona belonging to the Shadow Operatives apparently don't even _talk to their users_ , and from what I've seen so far, they're treated mostly like weapons, so." He shrugged. "It _probably_ has to do with our awakenings. Still, this is really, really weird -- but cool."

Ren couldn't even imagine Arsene not talking, them not sharing a mind to freely converse with each other, and Arsene felt so lost and confused all of a sudden, as if Ren were touching an icicle to his bare skin, that Ren wandered over to him and bumped his shoulder against Arsene's side until one wing brushed against Ren's back, and then he twined their fingers together, and he _dared_ either Yosuke or Kanji to comment negatively on it.

They didn't, the former because he was engrossed in a discussion about wind magic with Morgana and Zorro, the latter because he kept his mouth shut with only a raised eyebrow before he joined in on the discussion, something like an amused smirk tugging at his lips.

And then Shiho interrupted them, not aware of the tension and a little lost on the subject. "Wait, you have _magical abilities?"_

So, that might've been one aspect of the whole persona thing that the Thieves had forgotten to mention to her.

"Um," Ren said, and then shut up at her glare. She was getting very, very good at them.

_"It is a carryover from us persona,"_ Arsene explained, shooting an amused glance at Ren, just as glad for the break in tension. _"Having a persona boosts a human's physical capabilities in the Metaverse, and they art able to perform the same type of spells as we do on a weaker scale."_

At Shiho's continued blank look, he elaborated: _"Joker and Oracle have previously compared us to Pokémon, if the humans in the Pokémon games would have the elemental affinity of their starters."_

A look of dawning. Shiho nodded, apparently happy with the comparison. Kanji was shooting them an incredulous look. "Pokémon? How did you get the idea?"

Ren shrugged. "I'm actually a Wild Card, and when I tried to explain it to the others once, I came up with the analogy about the boxes where you store the 'mon's and shelving multiple persona in the Velvet Room, and it kind of stuck."

Yosuke snorted.


	8. I need nothing more than this -- to know that you'll always be mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am finally finished with my end-of-semester exams! It was a ride and a half, god do I hate online classes. This chapter is also a ride and a half for Ren, but we're nearing the end of the fic, huh? It certainly turned out to be much, much, much longer than anticipated. 
> 
> and on another note, I cannot wait to get my hands on P5 Strikers! I've ordered the game as a present to myself after the exams today, and it'll arrive friday or saturday! My first persona game, haha! I hope they port Royal to the switch as part of the anniversary announcement, or something :)

After that somewhat tense affair, things went back to normal for Ren -- relatively speaking, of course: he suddenly found himself with a handful of new almost-friends that took up time spent previously idling around in his home, which suited him just fine, and after the initial hiccup the local members of the Investigation Team had warmed up to Arsene and Zorro to the point where they didn't jump in surprise every time one or the other appeared. Yukiko had even brought Arsene a coffee as an apology.

Ren had told all of that to Margaret, in one of his now-weekly meetups, and she'd been happy. "My guest is sadly unable to come and visit right now," she'd told him scant a day before Yosuke had remarked the same.

"Yu's off on some secret government mission or something with the other users, so he can't visit." A shrug. "He'd been looking forward to it, too."

Ren had as well, not that he'd admit it out loud.

Still, his days were filled with more distractions than ever before in Inaba, and Ren found himself falling into a dangerous routine -- dangerous because it made him less cautious around home, where it sometimes felt as if even _smiling_ was frowned upon by his parents, their shoulders always a tense line that carried over to Akira.

It was as if a weird restlessness had fallen over his family the closer Ren came to turning eighteen and being able to _leave,_ and Ren found himself growing cautious as a result, creeping around his own home as if he were a thief. That lunch as well, where the clinking of the silverware that accompanied the Italian pasta echoed through the silence.

"You have been spending an awful amount of time on your phone with those friends of yours from Tokyo," his father had started, and Ren swallowed and put his fork down.

"A friend's birthday was coming up, and I was helping brainstorm a get-together."

A hum, and then the older man continued: "You've also been spending too much time at Junes without making any money in return, Ren. Why is that?" Unsaid went the _you've been constantly out late and are breaking the invisible curfew we've put you on._

He was so glad Morgana was currently at Shiho's, because Arsene's bristling anger was more than enough for him to manage. "I'm friends with my shift manager and some of my coworkers, and we usually meet up there because it's the most convenient."

Akira was following their discussion like a half-starved animal, wary and with only his eyes, unsure when the hand would hit him, and for the first time in a while Ren noticed how much worse his brother was looking, compared to the beginning of the school year; Ren knew that there had been some strife in the gang, but that should not cause Akira to look so hollow-eyed and wan.

His mother, like almost always, remained passive throughout it all, silently condemning everything without a word.

Ren's father's lips pulled down. "And that includes meeting with one of your teachers and the Tatsumi… kid? Don't you understand how it looks, to outsiders? They and your so-called friends from Tokyo are clearly a bad influence on you."

"Satonaka-senpai is only helping our coach out because his usual assistant is on maternity leave; she's actually a rookie at the police academy." Ren's voice dropped an octave and something rotten curled through his sternum and choked in his throat, the phantom feeling of claws making Ren want to tear through the tablecloth. "And Kanji-san is a good _friend._ You have no idea who any of them are, so don't presume things you don't know. _"_

His father was about to raise his voice in that terrifying way where it would first go all low and silent, in the same way that both Ren and Akira got angry as well, but Ren stood up from the table before it could happen, his chair scraping against the floor. "I'm not hungry anymore."

He left, before the resonance between his and Arsene's anger could lead to something unexpected; it had never happened, before, that he'd gotten such a strong impression of phantom limbs to the point where he'd been so sure that he could easily tear out someone's throat, and it was worrisome that it didn't worry him more.

Arsene was a bubbling, seething mass that made Ren's hair stand on edge. _How dare he-! He does not know of the pain and sacrifices our Thieves have gone through, nor of the one the local persona users have faced. How-- why--_ Then, quieter: _I am sorry, Ren, I do not know what overcame me._

_There's no need to be sorry,_ Ren said, winding through back-alleys on autopilot until he'd spotted Junes in the distance. _Our anger is --_ justified and reasonable Ren didn't say, because he didn't know how to word it, because the truth was that Ren had cycled through so many emotions when dealing with his family that the closest one he could muster was apathy.

_I'm simply… tired, Arsene._ Ren settled on, and then: "I think I lost all hope of a healthy relationship between us when they'd sent me off without a single word. I'm just so tired of dealing with them, Arsene."

Saying it out loud was cathartic, as was the barely-there presence of Arsene's claws at his nape, incorporeal out here in the open street but felt all the same. And then they continued on, to the staff entrance of Junes, and further still to the stack of TVs, and Ren let the static wash over him as he fell into the TV World.

Arsene caught him mid-air and gently set them on the ground, not bothering of letting go of Ren until a good five minutes later.

Ren was still loathe to separate, craving the embrace and the warmth of the gesture like a starved animal. _I shall instruct Mademoiselle Shiho to hug thee more often, then,_ Arsene hummed, claws carding through Ren's hair. _Thou art a much more tactile person that thee realize, little thief._

Maybe he was. Ren sighed. "Let's go and hunt some Shadows, Arsene." There were none in the Mementos found out here in Inaba -- he'd checked, while showing the Investigation Team the place -- which gave Morgana's theory some credit, at least. Ren would have to ask Igor, the next time the Master was present in the Velvet Room.

Fighting side-by-side with Arsene always was the most wondrous thing, their teamwork unbeatable, a single unit made up of two perfectly synchronized fighters; Ren could easily leave openings in his flank because he knew that Arsene had his back, and vice-versa. It made him forget some of the drama, even, if only for a little while.

Ren didn't know how long they'd spent clearing the few meagre shadows from the TV World, but by the time they were done, he was breathing heavily from an exhaustion that wasn't necessarily physical. Ren let himself fall down, right there onto the dusty ground, let himself fall onto hands and knees as tears threatened to escape his eyes. He balled his fists together, his fingers leaving indents in the coarse ground, his red gloves bunching up until the seams were visible, and Ren took in a breath, and held it.

He exhaled only when Arsene joined him, sitting cross-legged next to him, jacket and top hat dematerialized for the time being, face burning bright, flame red and flickering like a candle. He extended one wing to brush against Ren, and Ren sagged into it, properly sitting down on his knees, and then let himself fall further to the side and against Arsene, his wing hugging them together.

"Thank you," he murmured, and added _gratitude_ and _love_ _,_ and Arsene replied with _love-ofcourse-always-pleasure,_ thrumming deep in his throat like a bird might do, and they stayed like that.

And then a scream interrupted their serenity and Ren sprang up, tense, Arsene a shadow in his steps as they ran towards it.

One winding, mind-defying pathway later, Ren could make out familiar black hair and he _cursed_ , deploying his grappling hook on a piece of not-architecture to give himself leverage to fire his gun at point-black range, killing two lesser shadows in quick succession, Arsene clawing through the third.

By the time Ren touched down on the ground again, a three-point landing with his gun still ready, the shadows were gone, only the formerly trapped human remaining, without a scratch, thank fuck.

Ren stood up and put the safety of his (toy-) gun back on, and dusted off his jacket. _"What,"_ he hissed, Arsene's flames licking up into the sky, _"are you doing here, Akira?!"_

Akira stared at him, petrified and mad.

* * *

(Akira stared at Ren, halfway petrified and incredibly, unbelievably mad with worry, and then he saw one more of those things, those creatures -- the one that had cleaved one of the ones attacking him in half, cleanly, with clinical accuracy, and the disapproving retort that he'd had ready for Ren died in his throat as he lunged at his brother, his little brother by five minutes, and tugged him behind himself, never mind the gun, hand an iron grip on his wrist.

The creature, possibly a demon, Akira wasn't sure, only saw the horned, masked face and the black raven wings and the fire and the claws, hiding beneath a veneer of a gentlemanly vest and shirt and a top hat that was missing now -- Akira had seen it enthrall his brother in the field before, had heard the silent bass as it lulled Ren into a false sense of comfort, and he'd rushed back the way he'd come, for his baseball-and-nail bat that he'd brought with him after seeing Ren disappear into a stack of TVs in the storage room where he'd followed his brother to. Intent, really, on saving Ren or something.

And then his little brother had appeared to save him from the three creatures that had surrounded him silently, the demon with him, and Akira had believed, for a split-second, that maybe it was not as terrifying as it looked, and then it'd twitched towards Ren, the flames on its horns distorting the air around from their heat, a claw twitching towards Ren, and Akira had --acted. On instinct.

The creature has stopped, now, its head turned to the side like a puppy's, its gaze cold and hard.

Ren wrenched his hand away with a glare and walked around Akira, who was rooted to the spot, something unbelievably, perplexingly sad in his little brother's gaze nonetheless.

_"Ren_ ," the creature said, a deep bass, and Akira had lost his brother.)

_I know,_ Ren thought-spoke back, suddenly tired again, the weight of lunch coming back. "What are you doing here, Akira?" And then, as realization settled, "You _followed_ me here?"

Akira flinched, guiltily, before taking stock of their surroundings. "I did, yeah." His indifference came back. "What of it? You go and run off in the middle of lunch and you don' expect me to follow?" 

Ren saw his posture tense, baseball bat held in a white-knuckled grip, and felt Arsene grow cold at the words. _"Thou have been following us for quite some time, have thee not?"_

Ren wanted to ask, but also not -- Akira scowled at Arsene with the posture of cornered prey. "I'm fucking worried about Ren! With good reason, apparently -- the hell kind of place is this, anyways? Or _that_?" _That_ referred to Arsene, who didn't as much as shift a feather at the insult, but Ren had enough.

The mere idea that his family could find him whenever he was in the Metaverse, his one safe haven above all others, it just -- no. If his parents found out, they would find a way to take it away from Ren, just as they've been systematically taking away _everything that brought him joy_ over the past two or three years.

"This is the TV World, a part of a place called the Metaverse." Ren glared at Akira. "It's filled with creatures called shadows that we take care of before they become a greater danger."

And it was _Ren's_ and _Ren's alone,_ not in any way, shape or form _Akira's. They didn't share it._

The latter eyed him as if Ren were mad -- Ren was, only not in the way Akira thought. " _That,"_ he spat the word with disdain, "is my partner and persona, Arsene. We've been fighting together ever since last spring."

"Partner?"

"Partner, yes. Lover, if you want, or boyfriend, or soulmate. Arsene is _not a thing_ , so don't call him 'that.' He's _mine._ "

Arsene softened. _Thou know that I do not mind, dearest._

Yeah, but Ren did, which meant that Arsene did too, only he hid it better. Ren was so tired of dealing with all of his --family and their antiquated and outdated and frankly wrong way of thinking, and he's tired of having to listen to his mother complain about Tatsumi Textiles or Kanji under her breath and then expect Ren to agree, and he's tired of having to lie about Shiho and Ann's relationship whenever _Shiho is in the same room as his mother,_ and he just--

just--

With a flick of his wrist, Ren undid the safety of his gun and shot the leaping shadow squarely in the face with a flick of his tongue, and he let his eyes roam around their surroundings.

They were amassing too much negative emotion in a too-concentrated space, and the shadows were starting to multiply. He cursed under his breath. _"Teddie_ did _warn us, didn't he?"_ Louder: "We're continuing this conversation outside. _Arsene!"_

His persona dematerialized, and Ren grabbed Akira's hand and led him out without another word, stiff and tense and unlike the cool and collected Joker that he usually was.

(Akira was somewhere between shock and denial at his brother's words, and he followed Ren back without any other word, his mind replaying how he'd shot the shadow over and over and over again, a broken record.

This person in front of him was supposed to be his little brother, his Ren? The kid who was too scared to join Akira's gang, using a gun so callously? Having a demon for a lover, roaming around a fantasy world inside old TVs and killing things?

Akira didn't notice when they'd set foot down back in Junes' storage room, but he sure as hell noticed when the demon reappeared, called _Arsene_ of all damn things because it couldn't even have a proper Japanese name, his flames lighting up the otherwise dark room and _wait._ Akira had heard that name before, had read it in the pilfered book from Ren's bookshelf. The one where he'd found flowers pressed inside, which he'd carefully put back in, thinking them a present from a secret -girlfriend. He licked his lips.)

"...'Arsene' like in your French spy novels?"

"Arsene like in _Arsène Lupin,_ gentleman phantom thief, yes."

Ren waited for Akira to connect the dots on his own, not willing to give out any more information -- _let's see how_ smart _and_ talented _he is now,_ he thought, and Arsene thrummed _comfort-love-here_ at him.

The transformation on Akira's face could color pages in a book, Ren thought: he froze at first, eyes wide in shock, before he paled and let his bat drop to the ground. Akira flinched, the movement of someone on the verge of stepping back. "You're -- he's -- the poster. The goddamn books. Thieves. You're part of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

Ren clapped, sarcasm filling his voice. _"Bravo!_ You're looking at the leader of the Phantom Thieves, even!"

He was just so, so tired of it all. "Surprise-!"

_"Ren."_ Arsene's voice was firm, but not unkind. Worried, really, because Ren's heartrate still hadn't returned to normal, because Akira was still silent, staring at them.

Ren still wore his uniform like armor.

"...I take it that all of your friends from Tokyo are… like this?" Akira's voice was low, cautious, and Ren nodded, mouth a thin line.

"Yeah, we're all Phantom Thieves, and we've been through shit you can't imagine."

* * *

In the end, they talked until they had to go back for dinner, unless they wanted their parent's wrath to descend upon them, and Akira remained silent and still wary, but at least he promised to not reveal anything to the adults until he'd gotten the whole unfiltered picture, and Ren had decided to trust him against his better judgement.

That evening during dinner, Akira kept glancing at Ren out of the corner of his eyes, almost worried while Ren sat stone-faced and ate his seafood through his father's lecture. By the time the elder Amamiya was finished, Ren was as well, and he left them to it and retreated to his room, locked the door, and took out his phone.

(Arsene thrummed at him, worriedly curling around Ren's heart,)

"Open the Thieves' Den, please--"

\--and he was surrounded by a cascade of light before rematerializing on his spot in the upper levels of their hideout. A quick glance around revealed that Haru and Makoto were there, and Necronomicon was hovering over the television, so Futaba had to be somewhere nearby.

"Ren!" Haru called, waving towards him.

He felt some of his good mood return and waved back before vaulting over the railing and grabbing the ledge, dangling there for a second, before he let gravity take hold of him and he dropped the rest of the way down, an invisible wind softening his fall.

_Thank you, Arsene,_ Ren thought, and Arsene huffed. _Thou art welcome as always, little thief._

Makoto rolled her eyes at his theatrics, but a small smile tucked her lips upward. "So good to see you again, Ren. How's Inaba treating you, now that you apparently left us for the better, more experienced persona users?"

"Nonsense, Makoto," Ren grinned. "I could never replace you guys. I'm merely… _expanding my horizons._ "

Haru snorted. "Is that what we call it now? But really, how are you doing? We haven't seen you guys much, college's been eating away at our free time like hell. Oh, Arsene -- _Milady et Johanna sont dans l'atrium._ "

(Arsene hummed in appreciation and materialized, as close to Ren as physically possible. _"Merci, l'imperatrice. Je les rejoindrai plus tard.")_

Ren, meanwhile, tried very hard to hide the grimace that overcame him at the innocent question, but both had noticed it -- Makoto's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"

Ren, weighing the options of _tell them_ and _run away,_ decided that the latter would look even more suspicious, and so dragged a chair over to them and let himself sag down onto it. Arsene, true to his earlier remark, didn't wander off towards Johanna or Milady (Ren honestly _didn't even know_ the Den had an atrium), but instead sat down next to Ren with a low-flickering flame that screamed ' _If thou plan on lying to them I shall not respect that decision, Ren'_ and Ren sighed.

"So," he started, and stopped. Necronomicon could be heard whirring in the background while it continued programming something on the surround system. "So. I got into a disagreement with my parents about… things, and might've stormed away -- I wanted to cool off in the TV World, but Akira followed after me and ended up surrounded by shadows, and now he knows. Sorta. I might've exploded on him. So."

Arsene's displeasure radiated off of the persona, but he remained silent on the matter after a nudge from Ren. "And I also was wondering if your sister would want to help me divorce my family."

Makoto blinked, incredulous, and her expression was so downright _dumbfounded_ that Ren had to tack on: "You know, getting emancipation, that sort of thing, as you do."

She was still blinking, mouthing _who does so,_ so Haru intervened by asking him why he'd want to do that, considering he was almost eighteen anyways.

"Well," Ren stated, "I want to present them the court paper on my birthday so that there's no way whatsoever that they can forbid me from coming back to Tokyo."

"Ren, _what the hell?!"_ Makoto hissed, jerking forward and bracing herself on the table in a white-knuckled grip. "What has been going on in Inaba that you'd want that? We should never have left you and Suzui-san there!"

Haru put a hand on Makoto's wrist, and Ren was happy to leave it at that, but then Arsene had to join the discussion by saying _"Ren's parents are not quite unlike the late Monsieur Okumura, I'm afraid,"_ and Haru's grip tightened imperceptibly.

"They're… like my father?"

Ren flinched. "It's more like the year apart highlighted some of their flaws more than I'd have liked, and it's become obvious that we won't be seeing eye-to-eye anymore." _If we ever did_ was left out.

The younger Niijima heaved a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. I can talk to big sis and then she'll text you. Now to the other matter -- your twin knows?"

_"Akira,"_ Ren stressed, "knows, yes. And I don't know-- well. What to do."

"Is there a possibility that he will run to the local authorities, or that they will believe him?"

A good question. "Probably not." Because if Akira did, then Ren would do the same about the biker gang. Haru frowned.

"Should we invite him here, like we've done with Suzui-chan?"

"No!" Ren wouldn't-- allow that. No way. This was _his,_ Akira had no _right_ \--

_"I would advise against it,"_ Arsene said, delicately, and Ren hadn't even noticed the wing newly-draped across his shoulders, the feathers soft and warm. He relaxed into it and remained silent, not knowing how to explain the rush of negative emotions even the mere idea brought him.

Makoto narrowed her eyes. "I can kind of guess why, I think, but. Okay. No Akira in the Thieves' Den. Would you rather we drive over to Inaba and have a talk with him there? Next weekend, with the others? Then we can also finally meet the Investigation Team."

Ren opened his mouth to reply--

_"Oooh,_ are we going to visit Ren-Ren? Count me in!" Futaba grinned, re-emerging from wherever she'd crawled in. "I miss annoying you in person."

Ren huffed a laugh, taking the unforeseen opportunity for what it was. "Thanks, bug. What were you and Necronomicon doing?"

Futaba held up her prize -- a microphone. "Who's up for some Let's Dance or Just Sing? We've just finished connecting the console to the TV."

Haru's eyes lit up, but Makoto shot Ren an annoyed glare at being interrupted. 

Arsene eyed the microphone with interest. _"May I suggest persona against humans?"_

Futaba's grin widened.

(Ren wasn't sure who won in the end, only certain that all of them had great fun, which probably had been Arsene's intent with dragging the persona into it, considering that of the four present, one was a motorcycle, another a UFO and the third didn't really have legs inasmuch as she had mechanical joints -- though Milady proved to be the best dancer, as was Haru.

Ren fell asleep in his bed with no bad dreams or worries for the first time in a while, and he slept through the night until the next day without any interruptions.)

* * *

(Akira was living in hell, currently, because now that he knew the truth about Tokyo -- or part of it, at least -- it was easy to see, how what was previously believed to be absent-minded behavior on his brother's part was in fact, probably, that demon thing talking to Ren, from wherever he had disappeared to:

And Ren would smile faintly, truer and brighter than when he smiled at his classmates or Suzui-san or any of their parents, and something foul and rotten curled in Akira's gut when he'd notice it, over the next few days. His brother had told him to keep his next weekend free, with a scowl and that annoying neutral expression he'd adopted ever since the incident happened the first time, polite but blank and without any emotions, and Akira had done so with surprisingly minimal complain.

Worse, even, Ren always knew when Akira was following him, and so he would excuse himself from Suzui-san or the Junes's manager or his other new friends and turn around and stare at Akira until he emerged from his hiding place, somehow always able to find it. Tatsumi had raised an eyebrow in recognition, and Akira tried not to flinch away from the former bike gang leader while he was being scrutinized. Tatsumi remained quiet and cordial, as did everyone else while they planned out something, using words and names that Akira didn't understand, and Akira was left to stand next to their group as an outsider only there because of his brother.

It was... disconcerting, because usually Akira was the one who dragged Ren into his friend circle so that his brother wouldn't always be constantly alone.

It was even worse when he could swear that the demon was staring at him, invisible to everyone -- and they _liked_ him, all of Ren's new friends-! Amagi-san would offer a cup of tea to the air whenever they were somewhere secluded enough from regular people, and the demon materialized sans top-hat and overcoat and thanked her, and drank it while staying near Ren. And sometimes a second one would join, blue and stocky and calling himself Zorro and _belonging to their new cat,_ and both demons would talk silently before the blue one disappeared again, and Arsene would lay a hand onto Ren's shoulder, deceptively gently, and no-one would remark upon it.

And the sad thing is, Akira mused, when he finally parsed out that all of them were so excited because Ren's friends were visiting on the previously-remarked-upon weekend that Akira was supposed to keep free, and Suzui-san was happy to finally see her girlfriend again, and the demon users of Inaba were happy to meet the Phantom Thieves, and Ren --

Ren was so obviously fucking glad to see them that it showed in his posture and demeanor and smaller tells, and he was so relieved that Akira had to bite his lip until it started bleeding before he would remark upon it and ruin his brother's happiness, and it hurt.

It fucking hurt, that the Phantom Thieves whom Akira and his gang had admired before, that they were a band led by his little brother and his friends, because the Phantom Thieves stood for justice and honor amongst the misfits of society, but they were led by _Ren._ It hurt that Ren never once thought about telling Akira about it until he'd been forced, and it hurt that Ren seemed to consider the other Thieves more his family than his own flesh-and-blood one.

It hurt that the demon had come to Akira, had easily picked his lock and entered his room the day after, and had spoken to him. _Thou have hurt Ren badly,_ he had said, looking horrific.

And: _Ren has been worried that ye could've easily switched places in his story, which is utter foolishness -- for all that thine appearances are strikingly similar, the truth is that only my Ren has the potential to be a Fool, and thou do not._

And: _The difference, foolish child, is that my thief_ doubts _and_ questions _, while thee do not._

Akira hadn't understood then, hadn't wanted to understand, because the truth -- the truth was that the demon was right. These past few days with unwillingly trailing Ren had given him more to think about than the past weeks in which he'd been back, because he'd stepped foot into a world he shouldn't have.

It was a world that Ren seemed to thrive in, but it was a world Akira found utterly terrifying.

It was a world he had no part in.

Akira had lost his brother, that day when their parents didn't believe him about the politician, when they'd caught Akira wanting to text Ren the first week in Tokyo and had told him "it will be for the best to not contact your brother while he goes through this; we wouldn't want to hurt his growth as a person," and Akira had thought _yeah, of course, makes sense,_ and ignored his brother's phone number for the whole year.

Had lost him to a group of friends and a demon lover with honey-sweet words who Akira was terrified of, who was so utterly menacing that he came right out of Akira's nightmares but who held Ren so adoringly in his claws.

Akira had lost Ren as a brother, too, to Sakura's daughter who ran at Ren with full speed and tackle-hugged him even before the van had stopped rolling into the parking lot of the Amagi Inn.

The last thing he thought, before the brown-haired driver turned toward him with a stern look and the blonde punk frowned and the weird artist kid made a face of displeasure in his general direction, was _at least they treat him better than we ever did._

And also _: Our parents won't like this.)_


	9. you are my recovery, the light upon the rocks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chapter count went up again because _I cant help myself._ Short, 3k drabble my ass, this thing's over a hundred pages by now... I have no restraint, oops.  
> This is the longest chapter to date, I think, because it was /supposed/ to be the last, but... eh. 
> 
> (and also, chapter warning for a not so nice confrontation between Ren and his parents in the second half, and a lot of angst.)
> 
> On a nicer note, I have almost finished Strikers, the game is awesome, the soundtrack phenomenal, and I love it so much! It makes me want to play vanilla P5/royal even more now, ugh. I am horrible at managing the persona, though. how do you grind up the persona points to the thousands, even millions, people of YouTube? I just want my Arsene to be nice and strong, haha  
> (fun fact! the first half was written before I'd gotten Strikers, so color me surprised when they'd talked about doing a barbecue in the first hour of the game.)

Having the Phantom Thieves around, it felt as if Ren could finally, finally take a deep breath again, after being slowly suffocated. They'd booked two large rooms in the Amagi Inn and would stay overnight before going back to Tokyo, and Ren greedily absorbed all of their warmth and their laughter and familiarity. Futaba was hugging the life out of him, and he'd vaguely noticed that Makoto had stalked off towards Akira, but he could care less when Ann dragged him into a group-hug with Shiho and Ryuji. They stayed like that for a beat too long, Ryuji's arm, slung as it was over Ren's shoulder, dragging their heads down and together.

"Are you like, sure, that you don't want to run off to Tokyo?"

Ren, feeling ridiculously soft and mushy from the concern his friends were showing, nodded. "Yeah, I'm -- not good, but I'll manage. Really."

And then he introduced everyone to everyone, to great delight all-around, and they talked and joked and wandered around Inaba until it was starting to get dark. They set off towards the nearby forest for a big barbecue over a firepit, laughing and smiling and armed with foods and drinks and snacks. Makoto and Chie talked about police academy entrance exams on the way, and Ann and Ryuji were glued to Shiho's side, Yusuke and Yukiko discussing art, and Futaba, Teddie, Morgana and Yosuke talked about the newest Featherman episode very animatedly.

Haru and Kanji were on Ren's left and right, talking over his head about management, and Akira -- Akira was trailing behind all of them with an unreadable gaze that Ren expertly ignored.

Once in the clearing, Ann was ready to claim ownership over the fire before Carmen materialized and brought the cold coals to light with a flick of her wrist, and she called over Zorro and Captain Kidd to tend to it. The other persona, too, materialized, and unceremoniously shooed the humans away, to raised brows from the Investigation Team. Carmen, brandishing a skewer like a weapon, grinned. _"You got your happy reunion, let us have ours. Go off and talk to each other, sí?"_

_"We won't burn anything down, don' ye worry."_ Kidd rolled his eyes, and that was that, really.

Ren caught Yosuke mumbling _you sure you don't want to join them?_ to himself, before the latter noticed him and shrugged good-naturedly. "No chance, I guess."

And then he paused. "...are you sure they won't burn the barbecue, though?"

"Nah, don't worry," Futaba said. "Skull and Panther know how to make one, and Noir's not a half-bad cook herself."

"I wouldn't let you or Necronomicon near the fire, though."

Futaba shrugged at Makoto's words. She was right, after all.

(Akira kind of… stared, strangely desensitized by this madness, and briefly caught the gaze of Arsene. He flinched at the languid flames and looked away, turned his attention forcibly towards the humans. Suzui was staring at him as well, in something close to pity.)

* * *

_"So,"_ Carmen begun, once the humans were out of earshot. _"What has actually been going on here, Arsene, Zorro?"_

Zorro huffed, shrugging. He handed Arsene the packaged food, and the French persona rolled his eyes before he opened them up neatly, claws slicing through the plastic. They were silent for a moment, Necronomicon buzzing above them while it set the table with Goemon's help. Finally, the blue-clad vigilante spoke. _"Ren has been disconcertingly distancing himself from his family. A little at first, but this month has been getting worse."_ A pause. _"Ever since we have met the Investigation Team, actually."_

_"A cute name,"_ Johanna remarked, her engines purring softly. Carmen shushed her, attention riveted.

_"And the surprise twin that no-one's seen coming?"_ She hadn't missed the side-eye Arsene gave him.

Arsene sighed, his wings twitching. _"Akira is stressing out my little voleur; both are behaving like cornered animals, and only time will tell us which one shall strike. Ren feels scared that Akira could easily replace him, for whatever unfathomable reason."_

_"Tha' is the biggest bullshit I've ever 'eard."_

Arsene grimaced, ruefully. " _I do not claim to understand the mind of my human, for all that we share it."_

_"The poor thing,"_ Milady said, and put some of the vegetables onto a skewer and over the fire. _"Nothing can be done?"_

_"If only they would finally talk!"_ Zorro said, annoyed, and proceeded to turn over the steak on the grill. Johanna, knowledgeable in the ways of siblings, reprimanded him that it was not that easy, and Arsene, glad to have someone in his corner, agreed. It was a matter stemming from before the persona, after all, so it was more deep than at first glance. There were no hearts to change, only a broken-apart family. He watched the fire expertly prepare the meat and vegetables under Carmen's ministrations, and turned the topic to something more cheerful.

_"Do tell us though, about what has been going on with ye."_

_"You will not believe it, but my Yusuke has gotten a sponsorship to a prestigious design university with his latest piece!"_ Goemon grinned up from his meticulous arranging of the silverware. " _It is the same one that Futaba and that Mishima kid have_ _been eyeing._ _"_

Arsene made a pleased sound in his throat. _"Truly, how fares the Moon? Was the birthday surprise a success?"_

_"Yes,"_ Goemon confirmed. _"And furthermore, it seems that both my Yusuke and Futaba fancy him."_

Necronomicon buzzed in agreement before re-arranging one of the plates with its tentacles, much to Goemon's annoyance. Johanna's engines purred to life. _"Speaking of fancying someone, Sae has started dating the school teacher."_

Zorro blinked. _"Kawakami? Really?"_

The motorbike was obviously quite pleased with herself for that nugget of information. " _Yes. Makoto doesn't know yet, and I was promised to secrecy until they feel ready to reveal it."_

_"...we ought to send that poor woman a bouquet of flowers, I'd reckon. For all that she has had to put up with."_

_"I agree with you, old friend."_ Carmen smirked, lips curling up in delight.

_"That reminds me,"_ Kidd said, eyeing Carmen speculatively (and Milady sighed). _"What would th' little lass say to expanding 'er relationship?"_

Arsene blinked, his mask becoming blank before re-lighting again. _"The Chariot is in love with the Lovers?"_

Kidd sighs, theatrically. _"Ryuji is in love wi' both Ann and th' Shiho lass, even if he's denying it tae 'imself. I was merely hoping of… 'elping 'im out."_

Carmen's smirk widened by a truly frightening degree. _"I'm certain that I can figure that out."_

_"God!"_ Milady probably was rolling her eyes as she wandered over to Johanna and leaned against her side, soft clinking sounds being muffled by her dress as she rearranged her legs. _"All of you are old gossips!"_

She was met with a round of shrugs before Arsene answered: _"Inaba is a terribly boring place, especially because the other persona do not wish to manifest, and this is the most interesting thing to happen ever since Golden Week for us."_

Milady sighed. Johanna huffed a laugh. " _Give it up, dear."_

_"Anyhow-- as much fun as I'm having, mis amores, the food is ready, and is best enjoyed hot."_

Arsene hummed fondly. _"I shall get the others, then."_

* * *

Being roused from a discussion (argument) about Super Featherman Deus EX versus Featherman Sentai Rangers Duplo that had escalated between almost everyone as soon as Futaba had (foolishly) declared that she preferred Deus Ex over the old Rangers Duplo by Arsene walking over to them and grandly declaring _"Ma cheries mademoiselles, m_ _es chers_ _messieurs; it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome ye tonight, to ye dinner!"_ had to be a highlight, especially when Shiho cheered loudly.

"I _knew_ you would like the movie!"

Arsene grinned, ignoring the incredulous looks he was getting from some of the humans. _"It was quite delightful." And French_ , he didn't say, though Ren still heard it, snorting softly. The others joined him in following after the persona.

And then they had dinner.

* * *

(Ren had ended up staying the night with the others in the inn, leaving Akira to go home on his own, but after the the day, he couldn't begrudge it.

It had opened his eyes in ways they hadn't been before, and maybe -- maybe Akira understood it just a little bit better, now.

It was still terrifying as fuck, but it made Akira go home alone despite the slowly-spreading sensation of _coldness_ that had started spreading the longer Akira observed Ren in his natural element, staring at his father with furrowed brows. The other man was waiting for him in the kitchen, a disappointed tilt to his mien that made the hairs on Akira's neck stand on edge and the cold sensation freeze over.

"Where is your brother, Akira?"

"I don't know," Akira lied, tasting ash. "I've lost track of him; he's off with his friends from work. It was boring, really." A petulant frown. "I really don't know why you have me tailing after him, there's nothing he can do in Inaba."

"Silly child, you're not _'tailing him'_ , that sounds so sinister --" Akira's mother spoke from inside the living room, and Akira curved his posture until he was avoiding eye-contact and looking down at the floor. His mother continued, her soft smile audible in her voice: "You're simply making sure for us that Ren's not getting himself into any trouble, as any older brother should."

Her fingernails were impeccably manicured, a vivid red, and Akira's thoughts flashed to Ren's demon lover and the red leather jacket and boots in the exact same shade, and he morbidly wondered how his parents would react to the persona, or to Ren's deviant relationship with him, after they'd tried so hard to make sure that neither Akira nor Ren would ever want for anything else but a lovely girlfriend and two beautiful children.

They would lose their minds.

Akira certainly had, and he'd had the past few months ever since Ren's come back from Tokyo to think about and come to relative terms with Ren's possible homosexuality, after his remark on the first day. He still wasn't comfortable with it, mind -- but Ren was fucking happy, and he adored Arsene in a way Akira had thought that he'd adored Mariko, back when they'd still been together, and _seeing Ren happy_ after everything in the past year?

Seeing Ren _smile,_ truly and for real and from the bottom of his heart, for the first time in two years --

Akira could grow to tolerate the demon, if it meant Ren was smiling like that again.

His father frowned. "Don't lie to me, child. I heard from the Tanakas that a van pulled into the Amagi Inn, and teenagers apparently exited it."

Akira valiantly tried to not flinch. "..."

"Is there any chance that Ren went to meet them? You have to tell us, Akira; I'm worried about the influence those Tokyo kids have on your brother."

Ren had been _fucking happy_ , had been looking forward to this weekend with the fervor of a starved man --

The correct choice of action was to tell his father and mother that Ren was meeting the 'Tokyo kids', of course, and then his father would go over to the inn and get Ren away from his friends, and then Ren would be sent to his room, and Akira would be sent to _his_ room, and Ren wouldn't be allowed to leave the house for the foreseeable future because he'd been influenced by them, and.

And.

And Ren had left Akira _alone_ with their parents for a whole _year,_ and it had been hell, and --

"-- I don't know, dad."

And whatever trust that they'd managed to build between them, after Akira had stumbled into the TV and learned the truth about Tokyo would be gone, and.

Well.

_Ren had smiled. For real._

Their father scowled.)

* * *

* * *

Ren arrived back home the next day around noon, the other Thieves back on their way to Tokyo, Sae's Officially Approved Letter Of Emancipation burning a hole in his pocket, a foreboding feeling making Arsene thrum at him in worry.

Akira hadn't come back that day, hadn't even snuck around to spy on Ren and the others. They'd had a great time, exploring the the local branch of the Metaverse through the app and the TVs, and Ren and Shiho were loathe to see the others go.

Morgana wound around his leg, purring. "Only about two months until summer vacation starts, and then we'll be in Tokyo again."

Ren picked him up and scratched him on the head. "Less," he murmured, not seeing his parents or Akira around. He took it as a blessing and went to his room, passing by Akira's door and noticing that it was locked.

Odd.

It was the middle of the day; Akira usually only locked it on nights where he planned on sneaking out by the window to meet with his gang. Still; Ren deposited the myriad of wrapped presents he'd gotten from the others with the specific instructions to _not open these until your birthday is actually around, Ren-Ren!_ Which meant that he stowed them away on top of his closet until next Thursday, which was in ten -- nine, now -- days. A shame that the other's couldn't make it on the actual date, but Ren's birthday was never something he'd looked forward to until now.

Morgana curled up on his bed and promptly fell asleep, and Ren envied the not-a-cat cat for it.

_Thou want to check up on Akira,_ Arsene surmised, and Ren nodded.

_It's not like him to simply not come when he'd said that he will._ Especially because it had seemed like Akira had finally loosened up enough to actually crack a wry grin at the end of the barbecue yesterday. Making his way over to his door, Ren glanced at the lock for a moment, debating whether or not he should pick it, before deciding that he was a Phantom Thief, so of course he was going to pick the lock.

It was almost as easy as breathing after a full year of doing it almost daily, using a handy hairpin that doubled as an actual hairpin for the rare occasion that he was annoyed by his constant bedhead.

(The 'rare occasion' was actually fairly often, considering Ren's hair had gotten longer and -- impossibly -- curlier, to Arsene's amusement, who should shut up because he had _no hair at all_.)

Ren picked the lock in two seconds flat and opened the door, an annoyed huff escaping his throat as he noted how dark the room was, curtains drawn. Ren flicked open the light switch, a scathing comment ready to leave his lips--

and he stopped in his tracks, blinking incredulously at Akira. The hand still on the doorknob turned white from the force of his grip. "...Akira?"

Akira curled up from the defensive ball that he'd been curled in, slowly, as if he'd not moved in a while, and Ren took a cautious step inside the room and locked the door softly.

Akira flinched. There was an angry red cut just underneath his right eye, which was black and puffy as if he'd been socked, and Ren winced in sympathy before it registered to him that _someone had punched Akira in the eye_.

"...did your demon break my lock again?"

Ren, indignation rising, took a deep, calming breath before he responded. "No, I did; the lock's shit. What happened?"

Akira glowered, remaining silent. Ren sighed. "Akira, please. What happened to you --" he stopped as a thought occurred to him, and Arsene thrummed _Ren-worry-alright?_ at him. "Did. Did our father do this?"

A sigh. "Please; if dad would've done this, I wouldn't be bleeding. Dad locked me into the room, mom was the one who hit me."

Ren's expression crumbled. _"What?"_ It was a whisper, disbelieving. He was next to Akira in a few strides and ignored the yelped protest as he took a good look at his eye. "It's doesn't seem infected or blinded -- our parents are out, right?"

Akira tried to valiantly glare at him. "Yes."

"Good," Ren murmured, and then: "Arsene, can you get me a washcloth and some cold water?"

_Yes,_ Arsene said and materialized, glancing over Akira once before moving out of the room much more quietly than someone his size and stature should be able to. Ren felt the other twitch at the sudden appearance, but he otherwise remained still. They spent a moment in silence.

"Did this also happen while I was in Tokyo?"

Akira sighed, apparently resigning himself to being questioned about the topic after all, and leaned back carefully. "Nah. This was the first time, I was just as surprised. They locked the window, too, so I couldn't get out."

Arsene reappeared with the requested items and two cups of tea, bless him, and handed over the former before putting the cups onto Akira's desk. Ren hummed a _thank you_ before wetting the cloth and dabbing at Akira's eye, who endured the treatment with minimal protest and in silence until Ren was done and they were drinking their tea, Arsene a silent sentry against the door.

Akira spoke up when his cup was halfway empty. "How come you know how to treat a busted eye?"

The Leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts shrugged. "You'd be surprised how often shadows try to go for the eyes with either attacks or punches; Queen had all of us take first aid lessons. It had proven to be highly effective when it had been my turn; it had taken a week for the swelling to go down." Then Ren sobered up. "Why did it happen now? There had to be a reason."

"Dad caught wind of your friends visiting," Akira spat. "He wanted to know if they were staying at the Amagi Inn. I didn't snitch, but they knew I was lyin', and so mom said she'd make sure that I'd never do something as _despicable_ as lying again."

Ren flinched, ashamed. "I see. Thanks." A pause, while he gripped the cup until it started creaking. "Will you be okay?"

"Please, Ren, I've had worse happen to me with the guys. It sucks that it started to bleed, and it's tender as hell, but I'm not going to die."

Ren nodded and made to stand up. "I'll leave, then--"

Arsene made a noise of protest in the back of his throat, a low, guttural sound, and Akira flinched involuntarily. The persona spread his wings fully, effectively blocking Ren from reaching the door. Ren blinked at him. "Arsene?"

_"No-one will leave this room until both of ye have finally had a honest talk with each other, Ren. Ye need it."_

Ren blinked again. _"Arsene-!"_ he hissed, incredulous, but the persona interrupted him.

_"No. I mean it._ Talk _to each other. This is not one of those things that should be left unsaid, mon coeur."_ He shifted slightly. _"I will not leave this door until ye have done so."_

Ren pursed his lips, fully aware that if he wanted it, he could force Arsene to dematerialize. Arsene was also fully aware of it, a tension creeping into his posture that told him that were Ren to do so, Arsene was fully willing to fight against it. But that was a breach of trust -- it would cross a line in their relationship Ren wasn't so sure Arsene could forgive him, or that Ren could forgive himself. It would reduce Arsene to less a person and more a tool, would skewer the already thin balance of personal autonomy and sense of self that Arsene had into nothing.

With a sigh, Ren deflated and turned back towards Akira, and some of the tension left Arsene's shoulders. _Both of ye truly need to talk, mon petit voleur,_ Arsene added, much softer this time.

Akira was staring at them (as much as he could with his eye, at least), and Ren sighed again. "You heard the pigeon, Akira. We're not allowed to leave this room until we've had a heart-to-heart."

* * *

_"Our parents really aren't good people, huh, Ren?"_

Ren sighed, curled up on his bed, eyes roaming over the stars visible from his window. That had been the conclusion Akira had finally come to, asking the non-sequitur in a small voice when Ren had been about to leave the room. Ren had stopped at the door and answered with a simple _yeah,_ too spent after their talk for more.

(It seemed that after everything that their parents had put them through, physical punishment was the one thing that ended up pushing Akira over the edge, considering how their mother preached of never using violence to solve a problem. Ren had been darkly satisfied, then, for one gut-wrenching moment, before the fight had left his body.)

In the end, Ren had told Akira that they would be eighteen soon, and would thus require no legal guardians anymore.

_"Sure, and you can hypothetically leave and go back to your new family in Tokyo, but what about me? And also, if you think that mom and dad will let us leave before we reach twenty then--"_

Ren _could_ leave, though, with his court ordered letter; he could pack his things and be on his way back to Tokyo the second he'd turned eighteen. He'd be leaving Shiho behind, but Shiho's parents were wonderful, and she had the Investigation Team, and she had the access to the Thieves' Den.

To be fair, until two days ago, that had been his only worry.

Akira was stuck here, though, as he'd said; he'd never thought of leaving Inaba, never thought of a life outside the town when he'd had everything he'd wanted inside of it.

If Ren left as soon as he could, then Akira would be left behind to suffer -- especially now, when their parents had finally seemed to give Ren up as a lost cause. And the thing is: for Ren, it had been a slow realization over time, but Akira had had his rug pulled under his feet with the revelation, and he would probably be suffering for it in the long run, because Akira had always been attached to their parents more than Ren had been.

Warmth spread through Ren that wasn't his own, tentatively, carefully, and Ren huffed in amusement at Arsene's carefully prodding presence. The persona had retreated until there'd been barely a trace of him left, aware that Ren had been… not quite mad, but almost, at his forced interference in affairs he'd promised to not touch. Ren couldn't fault him for it any longer, though, because in the end, Arsene wanted what was best for Ren in the long run, and Ren loved him too much for any negativity to linger for too long. _Thank-you_ , he sent, and Arsene replied with _always-welcome-sorry._

Ren closed his eyes and concentrated on the warmth. _No-sorry-it'sokay._

Arsene's smoky presence curled around his bones and his heart and larynx, still apologetic. "Then I thank thee as well, Ren," He said, with Ren's voice, burrowed too deep inside of Ren's mind to easily materialize at once as he usually would. _Sleep, and we shall figure this out come morning,_ he added, and Ren smiled softly. _Okay._

* * *

The first thing that Ren did, in his uncertain quest to save Akira, was write to Sae: first, a congratulations on the relationship update ( _no, Makoto doesn't know, Arsene told me, he heard it from Johanna_ ) and second, a question about the possibility of a second letter.

Makoto's sister answered within a few minutes: _yes, I should be able to get one for your brother as well, though it might arrive after your birthday, unless you have a way of getting to Tokyo in four or five days._

> _**Ren:  
> **_ _If you give it to Makoto, I'll get it on time._

> _**Niijima Sae:  
> ** _ _...I'm not going to question how, because I'm pretty sure that you don't mean by driving._
> 
> _**Ren:  
> ** _ _Good plan_

The next thing that Ren did was sucking up his pride and joining his mother with breakfast, enduring the silence as she ate and then asked him about his upcoming test as if she hadn't given Akira a bloody eye, as if she didn't notice how _wrong_ it was.

Then it was time for school, and work, and Ren made sure to get home as soon as he finished his shift, saying good-bye to Shiho and Teddie and dropping by the Velvet Room to inform Lavenza and her visitors (all of the enigmatic siblings, it seemed, plus a woman and a man sitting next to a piano) that he probably wouldn't be able to meet with her for the next two weeks at least. Lavenza had eyed him funnily but nodded, and wished him good luck on his endeavor.

Arsene was quite dissatisfied with this course of action. _Is it wise to cut off thy support from the Velvet Room like this?_

Honestly? Ren had no idea. _I'm not taking any risks, now that I know that they might get physical with their violence. I'll be obedient and not break any of their rules for the next eight days, and then it's possible that hell might break loose._

_Morgana, Zorro, Mademoiselle Shiho and I are here for thee, Joker._ Arsene promised, and Ren's cheeks flushed red. "I know," he murmured. "And I'm glad for it."

* * *

(Over the course of the next few days, Ren had become more and more alert and tense, Shiho had noticed, next to his sudden reluctance to hang out with her or the Investigation Team members. It might've had to do with Akira's badly-concealed busted eye, Shiho having run in into him at the gas station two days ago. It might also have had to do with their upcoming birthday. Or both; she was unsure about it, and didn't want to pry too much into the family matters, but.

She'd even asked Ann if she knew the reason, only getting back a cryptic _Makoto seems to,_ and then the equally cryptid _be there for him, yeah? He's our dumb leader, after all._

Shiho had promised to do just that; had already planned to do just that, fully aware of Ren's tendency for harebrained plans that involved more risk-taking than necessary.

She'd told him as much, even, on one of their shared shifts, and he'd finally let some of the tension bleed out of his posture as he smiled at her. "Thanks, Shiho."

She smiled back reflexively and hoped that everything would work out in the end.)

* * *

Being obedient didn't mean being _passive_ , though, as his Trickster's parents probably had the misfortune to discover; for all that Ren adhered to the unspoken rules of the household, he didn't hold back in pointing out how absurd some of them were -- in a way where the elder Amamiya's were left to wonder if they were being contradicted and mocked or not, and Arsene couldn't be prouder.

There was a fire in Ren, now, that selfsame fire and burn for justice that had made him call for Arsene in the endless sea of souls a wildcard could call upon, and it was that fire that had made Arsene fall in love with Ren in the first place. The persona had observed Ren negotiate with shadows enough by now to know he was entirely capable of being snide or reproachful without sounding anything but pleasantly submissive, and he was using those talents to their fullest for the first time since Yaldabaoth had been taken down.

Arsene knew that Ren still was terrified, could feel it in the way their shoulders were weighted down and in the way their heart would pick up speed whenever either the mother or father were in the same room, but unlike before, where Ren would cautiously cover, he now stood his ground proudly.

Arsene let him know how proud he was in words or thoughts or emotions, every chance he got, because this was a Palace and Ren's parents were the Rulers, and his birthday the deadline.

_Thou art the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts; the Joker, the Wildcard, the Trickster._ Arsene had hummed, a statement and encouragement at once, when his father had told Ren that he was "never going to amount it to anything if your grades will continue to be so mediocre, young man."

_There is no Treasure that thou have set thy eyes upon which thou have not gotten, no heist which has failed before._

Ren had smiled, pleased, and Arsene could feel his frustration ebb away for the time being. _You mean 'no Treasure that we have set our eyes upon', no?_ he teased, and Arsene grinned inwardly. _We're a team, you and I, after all._

(And Ren's grade were above _mediocre,_ anyways; he was third in his class, but that seemed to amount to nothing as far as his father was concerned, which made Arsene seethe in disbelief. Apparently Akira graduated with excellent grades but shared the first spot with another student, and that had only been barely acceptable. It was almost a shame that there was no Palace for the Amamiya's, because Arsene would love nothing more than to tear his claws through their shadows -- not even _shadows_ , which only made it that much sadder, that there was no distortion to be found in their behavior.)

And then it was the evening before Ren and Akira's birthday, and the family was eating dinner together, Morgana a worried presence next to his untouched food bowl as things escalated once more, to Arsene's utter disbelief.

It had started innocently enough, with the mother asking if the other Thieves would visit Ren, which Arsene's little thief denied.

"It's better like that anyways," she replied. "They've been really nothing but trouble for you."

Ren remained silent. His mother continued. "Maybe it will do you good to forget about them -- Tokyo's so far away, too, and staying in contact over long-distance is so difficult."

Arsene frowned. _Tokyo is a two, maybe three hour ride away; that is not overtly 'long-distance'._

Ren hummed his agreement, wariness making him glance at Akira, who seemed quite confused.

"We've been thinking, your mother and I--" Ren's father pointed between them, "-- and we know that we can't keep you in Inaba forever, now that you've become so enamored with the big city life. We know you've planned to go to an university after you graduated, so I've managed to pull some strings with some old colleagues of mine, and both you and Akira will be accepted into Hokkaido University's medical program come next spring on a sponsorship exchange, and you'll be able to live on the campus grounds."

Ren and Akira both froze. "...what?"

Their mother nodded. "It'll do both of you good, I'm sure. Wakita-san was kind enough to offer to look after you for us so that we know that you'll be well."

Ren stared at them, betrayed, hands trembling where they were holding onto his chopsticks, and Arsene could feel the way his mouth tasted like ash. Arsene could feel Ren's anger as if it was his own, bitter and full of resentment, curling low in their stomach like lead. Akira shivered, head lowering as if in acceptance of the extended leash, and Ren's chopsticks snapped in half from the force of his restraint. 

He wanted to tear into the tablecloth, and Arsene would gladly lend him his claws, his wings, his fire -- felt himself melt the angrier Ren got, the angrier _Arsene_ got, his presence shimmering close to the surface like it does when Ren let him take control of his body. Usually, that meant adapting to the body and its restraints and folding away everything that made him a persona except for his mind, and impersonating Ren. It was as easy as breathing; it came naturally to Arsene, to fall into Ren's mannerisms and way of expression, because Arsene and Ren were One, were the two sides of a coin. Joker was somewhere in the middle, not as mild-mannered as Ren but not as extreme as Arsene either, comfortable for both to be, an easy state of being.

(The other Phantom Thieves were the same, of course, and once, the persona had spent an afternoon playing their humans, making the holder of Temperance frown in confusion at the ever-so-slightly _off_ behavior of their group until Ren had taken pity on her and confessed the charade. It had happened after the New Year, and everyone had wanted to simply enjoy being together again, for that last month that Ren and Morgana would've still been in Tokyo.

Arsene missed everyone else.)

Arsene made Ren let go of the broken chopsticks, let him lay the palm of his hand flat onto the surface for control.

"No," Ren said, through grit teeth. Akira stared at him in disbelief, and their parents frowned at his defiance.

"What do you mean, no? Ren, this is a prime opportunity for you."

_"No,_ " Ren repeated, trembling inwardly. "Because I've never planned on going to university -- and especially not into medicine. That's what both of _you_ want, what both of you did, but its not what _I_ want. If I even plan on going to university; it'll be one in Tokyo, and preferable near or around Shibuya. You won't make me go to Hokkaido -- or Akira, for that matter, unless _he_ wants to _, personally."_

Arsene thrummed his agreement, ghosting over Ren's back in support, curling around his heart with a heavy presence. _Thou art not alone in this. I am here._

Ren's father frowned. " _Why, you--"_ A deep breath. "This has got to be Sakura's fault, putting ideas into your head. Of course both of you'll go to Hokk--"

_"Stop constantly blaming others for your **own shortcomings-!"**_ Ren and Arsene screamed, as One.

(Akira flinched at the tone and glanced over to his little brother, wanting to mitigate the damage somewhat -- they'd be eighteen tomorrow, a wishful thought, and Ren had planned _something,_ but they were still seventeen today -- only to stop in his tracks at what he saw. Ren's presence seemed bigger, somehow, and he was glaring at their parents with burning yellow eyes. He'd stood up and slammed his hands down onto the table, but they were --wrong, somehow. _Ren_ was _wrong_ , somehow: his back was curled as he stared at their father, with the grace of a predator, and despite being angled low because of the position and under their father's gaze, there was nothing submissive about it. Akira could've _sworn_ that there were wings shimmering through the air, great black things that belonged to Arsene, the faintest blue outline visible to the naked eye. His hands -- his hands had clawed through the tablecloth, fingernails sharp and long and black, trembling from Ren's rage.

And on his nose, a domino mask was shimmering, and black horns flickered with blue flames over his head.

Morgana hissed, and Akira finally tore his gaze away from his brother and directed it first at the cat -- he had his claws out and his fur was bristled, and they briefly shared a glance -- and then at his parents, who were white-faced and frozen.

Akira couldn't fault them, because this--

this was not like that time inside the TV, because, Akira realized, _Arsene_ _had been the voice of reason, then._ This was Ren and Arsene both very, very angry with no outlet.

This was Ren, having finally snapped after he'd bottled up all of his feelings ever since the assault claim had started and his- their family hadn't believed him. _Akira_ hadn't believed him.)

Ren watched with no small amount of satisfaction as his parents recoiled in fear, his father hissing _"what kind of witchcraft is this?"_ , and he relished in the phantom feeling of claws and wings and his mask, Arsene an alien but welcome feeling shivering just underneath his skin. This was new, and probably should be reported back to the other Thieves, but for now--

for now, _Ren's had enough._

"You have been doing _nothing_ but belittle and dismiss us, and you put more value on appearance and your damned social standing within this dying little town than about the safety or comfort of your own children! You try to be this perfect little nuclear family to the point where you don't care about anything but success, and anything that isn't perfect is dismissed as a failure! You made Akira skip a grade because you wanted two top-of-the-grade puppet-children to gloat about, and being in the same class was making that impossible! You sent me off to Tokyo because hearing me out and getting me a defense against Shido would've been a social disaster and much, _much too complicated and expensive to be worth the effort, isn't that right?"_ Tears were running down Ren's cheek from both frustration, and his voice was growing hoarse from the shouting, but he also felt _lighter,_ as if Arsene's wings could make him soar.

Arsene was thrumming in tandem with his heartbeat, ~~his~~ their wings shivering and rigid, and Ren could've sworn that flames were flickering in the periphery of his vision.

"It didn't take me the whole year in Tokyo to come to this realization, but it sure as hell took meeting my friends to figure out that there was a way to escape situations like these -- and then I thought, like a _foolish idiot, because I should've known better_ \-- hey, maybe the year back won't be so horrible, maybe I'm remembering things wrong. My parents can't be worse than Kamoshida, or Madarame. Or the late Okumura. And do you know what?" Ren asked, voice dripping in sarcasm, _hurt_. " _Do you know what?_ It took me less than a single fucking month to decide that I'll be out of here the second I turn eighteen. Less. Than. A. Month."

He took a deep, shuddering breath, and balled his fists, once, before relaxing his hands. Ren pushed himself off the table and stood up to his full height, phantom wings folding slightly, curling forward as if to hug Ren, primaries splayed threateningly.

Arsene, always so protective. Ren hummed, an imitation-sound of Arsene's deep thrum, and let one of his hands follow the line of the wing, noting for the first time that his fingernail-claws were coated in an inky black that travelled past Ren's fingers and ended near his wrist.

Ren's mother, surprisingly, was the first to recover, eyes hard. Both of Ren's parent's seemed to be valiantly ignoring Arsene's presence, shimmering over Ren like a mirage. "What would you know about taking care of a family, you ungrateful child! We did everything for the both of you, and this is how you repay us? By screaming into our faces after we've made sure to secure your future despite your record?" She blinked, still trembling.

Arsene scoffed with Ren's throat, and Ren let him. _**"We know plenty about taking care about ours, believe us;** _being a family is not about repaying, but about _giving_ and _sharing,_ things you obviously don't know how to do _. I would die for my friends --_ for each and every one of them," Ren hissed, "and they care so much about me that they went and tracked down the woman that Shido assaulted to prove my innocence after I'd been sent to juvenile hall _to make sure that he'll rot behind bars_. They did it in _two months,_ and my record was lifted, as you should know if you've even bothered reading the official apology that should've been sent to you!"

He took a breath to center himself. "So _don't you dare_ drag my friends -- my confidantes -- into this. Sojiro and Niijima-san and Kawakami-sensei and the others have done more for me in a year than you've done in the past five."

"Amamiya Ren!" His father growled. "You will stop talking to your poor mother like that--"

The phantom-mirage disappeared around Ren at the same time as his anger gave way to a deep-seated emptiness. _My little thief…_ Arsene thought, and Ren chuckled. "Just-- _don't._ Spare me your rants. I don't care anymore, for my own sanity."

His father wasn't done. "Fine! Then we'll leave that topic for another time, though be certain that we'll revisit it, especially before you graduate and you and Akira will leave for Hokkaido. Rather--" Here, his expression turned soft and caring, worried even, his voice soothing. "Ren, are you feeling alright? Could all of this-- could all of this be because of what we saw earlier?"

His mother joined, eyes lighting up with something crazed. "Yes! Are you -- I can't believe that I'm saying this -- but you have to be possessed, somehow? I've never believed in things like that, but then there had been that dreadful fog all those years back, and some, you know, like Minami-san, believe that they saw demons descend to earth, that the murders were something… paranormal, and then there _is_ that weird fox by the local shrine."

Ren, unimpressed, raised one eyebrow, and Akira -- silent until now, for his own sanity -- actually snorted. (The tension was too much, and the only way he could cope with tension was by playing it down, and it's not like their parents were that much off the mark, really, all things considered, and-- and--

Akira might've been hyperventilating at that point, and Morgana had inched closer to him in worry.)

"If- if you come with us to the hospital, we can look you over and fix what is wrong with you, Ren--"

"There is _nothing wrong with me!_ " Ren shouted again, voice breaking. "Nothing that needs fixing! That's not how a parent should talk to their own child, don't- don't you see that? And I'm not possessed--"

"You made the _lights flicker_ , and there were _wings on your back_ , and your, your nails, and your eyes -- they're still _gold_!" Ren's mother hissed. "If it's not possession, then what, Ren? What has happened to my little baby, that he would hurt me so?" Her expression seemed genuinely anguished, so hurt and remorseful that Ren faltered, for one foolish second, swayed by her apparent pain.

_Maybe -- did I overdo it?_

And then Arsene's presence withdrew from Ren, leaving him empty and cold and confused, before the lights in the room didn't as much as flicker as _break_ , the lightbulb shattering into particles of glass.

Arsene materialized with a discernible pressure behind Ren and Akira's parents, claws touching them on their shoulders in a deceptively gentle touch, gleaming sharp and deadly. His wings were fanned open, and his mask was a flaming hearth, fire rising and curling over his horns and all the way up to the top hat, looking every inch the curse-type persona that he was. _Forgive me, mon coeur,_ he whispered in Ren's mind, _but I will not let them slander thee further._

_Arsene--_

_No,_ the persona said, firm. Angry. _It is my turn to protect thee. I had been unable to do so in the interrogation cell, but I shall not sit by idly in thy own home._

(Akira, still healthily terrified of Arsene, almost fell over himself in his hurry to get over to Ren, where it was safest, Morgana following and remaining silent. This was Ren's fight, not his, and anything that he would say wouldn't be understood by the parents anyways.)

Ren's parents flinched back and away from Arsene, the mother falling to the ground and the father remaining standing. Arsene smiled at them.

It was not a very pleasant smile.

_"Bonjour,"_ he said, amicably. His smile was all teeth and hellfire. _"I do not think that we have been introduced; je suis Arsene, l'amant de Ren_ \-- _that is to say, I am Arsene, Ren's lover. It is **such** a pleasure to meet ye."_

Ren's father paled. "Lover?"

Arsene nodded genially, a gesture that was all Haru. _"Oui. He is a wonderful lover, truly. So passionate and imaginative--"_ Ren flushed despite the situation at the warmth that Arsene sent him, his parents turning a sudden shade of green, _"--and kind and charismatic; a born leader. I cannot imagine where he has inherited those qualities from, though, because it certainly has not been from either of ye."_

"Now you listen--" Ren's father started, only to be cut off by the persona.

_**"No.** Now ye listen: we -- that is my Ren, Morgana, Akira and I -- shall leave this house for the night. Thou and thy wife **will not stop us.**_ _Neither of ye will even so much as **breathe** a word of this evening to anyone, or ye shall find out that this is me being considerate. Not that anyone would believe ye anyways, but still." _He leaned forward, eyes narrowed, claws trailing over the other man's shirt until they stopped over his clavicle, pressing in slightly. Ren shuddered at Arsene's low-burning anger and disdain. _"Both thou and thy wife will leave ye children **alone** from now on, oui? Sommes-nous d'accord?"_

Ren's father nodded, sweat trailing down his neck. Arsene grinned menacingly. _"Merveilleux!"_ He stepped over to a chair, adjusted it, and sat down on it, legs crossed and head supported on his palm, claws tapping rhythmically against his mask. Morgana joined him menacingly, curling onto Arsene's shoulder. _"Then I shall wait here with ye. Ren, dear heart, take Akira and get thy things."_ _And call Mademoiselle Shiho,_ Arsene added, much softer and only for Ren's ears. _I am certain that she will help._

Ren did just that -- he took Akira by the arm and almost dragged him to their rooms, and told Akira to pack his things while he sent a text to Shiho. Two minutes later, Akira stood in Ren's doorway, looking unmoored and lost. "What," he started, and licked his lips. "What should I pack? Ren, I don't-- what just happened?"

Ren softened. "I think we've just been freed from our parents. And pack overnight clothes, I guess? We're going to Shiho's, for now." Because she'd told him that she would help in any way she could -- he hoped she was still up for it, Arsene's belief in her notwithstanding. And then, because Akira was still standing in Ren's doorway, Ren went over to his desk and pulled open a drawer, taking Sae's letters out. "Here," he said, and gave one sealed envelope to Akira.

Akira stared at it, confused. "What's this?"

"An official letter of emancipation under your name; even if our parents wanted to, they're legally not allowed to control our lives any more. If they violate the rules you can go to court. I had Makoto's sister write them up for us."

Some of Akira's usual fire returned, as he stared between the letter and Ren. "Well. You've made some incredibly fucking _terrifying_ friends in Tokyo, didn't you? Next thing you're gonna tell me, you've got friends in the yakuza."

Ren remained silent for a beat too long, and Akira blinked in disbelief. "No way," he hissed, "what the hell?"

"...former yakuza, actually, and no, I'm not going to tell you their name."

Akira sighed, tension finally leaving him. "Okay. Okay, we're doing this. I can't fucking-- we're doing this." He blinked. "I'll get some stuff, I guess."

"Yeah, do that. And then I'll lock the doors."

* * *

They made it back downstairs in fifteen minutes, Arsene still sitting on his chair and Morgana still on his shoulder, now hissing at their parents.

And then they were out of the house and in the cold, starry night, Morgana winding around both of their legs and purring. "That was very brave of you, Ren," he said, and Ren shrugged. He was exhausted and emotionally wrung out, but Akira was far, far worse off. Arsene was back where he belonged, near Ren's heart, thrumming soothing nonsense at Ren until his heartrate returned to normal.

"Well," he said. "I hope that Shiho's still awake."

* * *

(Shiho was still awake, and Shiho was slightly worried and confused until she saw the sorry state Akira and Ren were in, the former trembling ever-so-slightly and generally looking as if he was in a state of shock, the latter's eyes hard and too old for his age, his spine rigid and his fingers flexing as if looking for his knife and gun, and then became _extremely worried._

She'd gotten Ren's text, a simple _can we stay over tonight?,_ and informed her parents. They hadn't asked too many questions, bless them, only sharing a glance over her head when she explained that things were currently… _strained_ between the Amamiya twins and their parents. Her mom had gotten two extra blankets and pillows out of the storage and had thrown them onto their couch while her dad made three cups of hot chocolate, before they disappeared into their bedroom and left Shiho alone to sort out their sleeping arrangements.

And then the doorbell rang, and Shiho ushered them inside and into the living room, Morgana meowing his thanks. She didn't ask any questions that weren't necessary and told Akira where the bathroom was once he'd asked, and he'd made his way over to it, kind of wobbly.

Once he was out of earshot, she turned to Ren. "What happened?"

Ren sighed, weary. "They insulted the others again, and I've just... had enough of it. Tomorrow would've been our birthday, and all of this could've been solved peacefully, but no -- they wanted to send us off to Hokkaido University, can you believe it?"

"Only so that you can't meet the others anymore?"

"Only so that I can't meet the others anymore."

Shiho's heart went out to him. " _Oh, Ren._ Can- can I hug you? You look like you need it."

Ren shuddered, nodded, and then Shiho did just that, crushing him to her in an embrace, Morgana joining in carefully. There were very little men that Shiho let touch her or that she let herself touch, after what had happened with Kamoshida. Her father, for one, and her grandfather. Ryuji, for another. Arsene and Morgana, too, but they weren't exactly human and thus didn't make her uncomfortable in that way. And Ren, of course, ever since he and Ann had talked to Shiho on the rooftop. Ren in particular had always felt safe to Shiho, because he reminded her of safety, strangely enough.

And then Akira came back from the bath, clothed in a shirt and sweatpants, and he glanced at Shiho and Ren and Morgana, looking uncomfortable. They let go of the embrace. "Look, Suzui," Akira started, out of his depth. "It's been a hell of a day, and -- I think I need to decompress. I really don't want to ask this, but is there any chance that I can have a space just for myself? It's just--"

Shiho nodded, remembering his black eye and Ren's frustration and worry. "You can stay here, the door to the living room can be locked. Ren can stay with me." He nodded. "My parent's will be up at around six for work, but they wont enter if the door's closed."

Akira agreed.

They left him be, alone in the living room and clutching at a letter like a lifeline, and climbed the stairs towards Shiho's room. Once they were inside -- her geography homework was strewn across her desk, and Ren cracked a smile -- Shiho locked the door and Arsene materialized with little fanfare and put a hand around the nape of Ren's neck in something Shiho would call anything but reassuring with how close to his jugular those claws were, but Ren practically melted into the touch, composure shattering.

She and Morgana left them be as she gestured towards her wardrobe, and she opened it and looked for her stray sleeping bag. "Thank you," Morgana said, softly, perched next to her head. "I don't know what we'd have done if you hadn't let us stay."

Shiho shook her head gently. "After what Ren's done for me? Even without that, he's a friend, of course I'd help." She'd found the sleeping bag and tugged it out, turning back to Morgana. "Listen, you can stay for as long as you need."

Morgana purred a smile. Shiho returned it, and turned her attention back to Ren and Arsene. Ren caught her movement and glanced at the sleeping bag and made to grab it, before Shiho held it out of his reach. "Shiho?" Ren asked, puzzled.

He was still huddled close to Arsene, a wing draped over his shoulder.

"I'm the one who is going to be sleeping in the bag, Ren. You'll take the bed."

He frowned. "This is your house and I'm a guest. I can sleep in it; it's not like it's the first time."

"No. You've had a difficult day and you've earned it. Go sleep on the bed with your boyfriend."

Morgana and Arsene watched the verbal sparring match with interest and amusement, and Shiho huffed when they weren't providing any assistance. Men, really. Though Arsene's wings puffed up when she said _boyfriend_ , which never ceased to be amusing; Ann had been right, if you knew how, you could reduce both of them into stuttering messes.

"Shiho. It's past midnight already and we have school tomorrow."

She glanced at the clock. Huh. He was right. An idea formed. "Then it's your birthday today; happy birthday, Ren."

Ren blinked, thrown. "Thank you…?"

"I've got a present for you!" Shiho cheered. "And that present is sleeping guilt-free on my bed for tonight!"

"Shiho no."

_"Shiho yes._ Go to sleep, Ren. Please."

He glared at her for one last time before conceding defeat. Shiho grinned and excused herself to the bathroom to change and wash her teeth, and when she'd made it back to her room, Ren was already curled up on the bed and next to Arsene, Morgana at his head. He and his cat seemed to have fallen asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow, and Arsene was carding through Ren's hair slowly, eyes trailing after Shiho in a soft yellow glow.

_"Thank you."_

She nodded at him before huddling into her sleeping bag, her phone in hand so that she could inform Ann -- and Ann the other Thieves -- about the worrying turn of events.)

**Author's Note:**

> also, fun fact: this was also entirely inspired by the Venom movie, because I am a sucker for interspecies relationships with nonhuman biology / a shared body and mind. And body horror, but there's... nothing of that in this, to my detriment...


End file.
